Key Points

• The circulation of the virus responsible for COVID-19 remains relatively low in the region. Last week, an average of 15 cases were confirmed each day.

• The incidence has risen slightly to 34 cases per 100,000 residents (compared to 22 last week), as has the positivity rate, which stands at 3%, while the testing rate has remained stable at over 3,000 tests per week. This increase is primarily observed in the Cayenne Island area.

• This slight increase comes amid the early stages of local circulation of the V3 (BR) and V1 (UK) variants. New hospitalizations and ICU admissions remained stable. Two new deaths were reported in week 11.

• As of March 23, the effective reproduction number (R_eff) for confirmed cases was estimated at 1.30 [1.06–1.56].

• As of March 24, 8,016 people had been vaccinated in French Guiana, representing a vaccination coverage rate of 2.8% of the population. Vaccination coverage with one dose is increasing among those aged 50 and older and stands at over 10% in these age groups.

• Since February 14, vaccination has been expanded to all healthcare professionals and everyone aged 50 and older in French Guiana. Additionally, a vaccination campaign expanded to everyone aged 18 and older has just been launched in the municipality of Saint-Georges by the ARS, while the situation regarding the Amapa variant in Brazil has been deteriorating for the past three weeks.

• Genomic surveillance of variants in French Guiana: since the start of surveillance, analyses and epidemiological investigations have detected:

  • 22 cases of the 20I/501Y.V1 variant (United Kingdom)

  • 41 cases of the 20J/501Y.V3 variant (Brazil)

• Epidemiological investigations suggest local circulation of the V1 and V3 variants in French Guiana, even though these variants are already circulating widely