Key Points

In Week 19, COVID-19 surveillance indicators show that the epidemic is subsiding in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. However, the virus continues to circulate, with 603 positive virological test results recorded in Week 19, compared to 1,017 in Week 18.

• Regional overview: 10,213 people hospitalized since the start of the epidemic, 11,661 cases identified in long-term care facilities, 2,702 COVID-19-related deaths in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

• Epidemic trends: decrease in the number of positive SARS-CoV-2 tests as well as the positivity rate in week 19, stabilization of outpatient care utilization, continued decline in hospital care utilization (emergency departments, all departments, intensive care), continued decline in the number of reported cluster cases in long-term care facilities, slower decline in the number of hospital deaths and all-cause mortality

• Characteristics of hospitalized cases: older adults are the most affected by the epidemic: those over 70 account for 73% of currently hospitalized patients. Three out of four patients admitted to intensive care are men, and nearly two-thirds have comorbidities.

• Regional variation: the departments of Rhône, Loire, Haute-Savoie, Ardèche, and Drôme have been the hardest hit since the start of the epidemic.