Key Points

The number of new confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection and weekly incidence rates continued to rise, with 1,212 new cases detected in week 34 (IR of 20.3/105) versus 1,008 (IR of 16.8/105) the previous week, with a higher testing rate in week 34. In week 34, the highest incidence rates were observed among 15- to 29-year-olds (41.6/105). The positivity rate remains stable compared to the previous week (2.5%). Of the 10 clusters currently under investigation/management in the region, the majority are located in the Nord department (6).

In week 34, in the three other departments—Aisne, Pas-de-Calais, and Somme— the more recent increase in the incidence rate and the crossing of the alert threshold have led, as of today, to maintaining the “limited vulnerability” level for these three departments, with a recommendation
for heightened vigilance and a reassessment of the trend and epidemiological context over the coming days to confirm or refute the recent
trend. In the departments of Nord and Oise, the hyperendemic situations observed in the Lille metropolitan area and the Creil Sud-Est urban community are subject to enhanced monitoring and a strengthening of barrier measures and prevention recommendations. These hyperendemic situations in urban areas raise concerns about a deterioration of the health situation as activities resume and public spaces reopen, against the backdrop of a national health situation that is worsening in most regions.