Summary

What is currently known about the situation in the region?

The region detected its first cases of local transmission in the Oise department three months ago. The peak in case numbers was recorded in late March, followed by a steady decline, both in the region and nationwide, after the lockdown was implemented. The pandemic’s peak impact on healthcare capacity was recorded in late March–early April in the region, followed by a slow and steady return to normal. Since early May (week 19), trends in surveillance indicators show that the epidemic has stabilized at a low level, though the virus continues to circulate in the community.

What’s new in this Update for the region?

We are in a phase of heightened vigilance for any signs of a resurgence of the epidemic, based on three pillars: surveillance and rapid identification of situations at risk of an epidemic resurgence; early diagnosis and management of new cases and high-risk situations; and the scaling up and deployment of diagnostic capabilities (tests and serology).

The recent estimate (May 23–29) of the effective reproduction number, estimated to be below 1 at the regional level, illustrates the current control of the epidemic. However, the detection of new clusters, while not currently calling into question the regional epidemiological situation, should encourage vigilance and adherence to preventive measures, protective barriers, and cautious behavior.

In this week’s bulletin, we have chosen to present, where possible, subregional (departmental) surveillance data on healthcare utilization, testing, and trends in incidence rates so that each region can have access to information useful for steering and managing the epidemic.

Finally, on page 11, we present the preliminary results of the survey on occupational infections among healthcare facility staff, which show that, like in the Grand-Est, Île-de-France, and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté regions, our healthcare workers in Hauts-de-France have paid a heavy price during this epidemic. We would like to thank them and acknowledge their contribution to the encouraging results presented in this bulletin.

What are the public health implications for the region?

Two weeks after the lifting of lockdown measures, all indicators (in urban areas as well as in healthcare and long-term care facilities) confirm that the epidemic has stabilized at a low level, with no currently perceptible resurgence in the region.

With the gradual resumption of personal and professional activities and travel, adherence to preventive measures and social distancing remains essential, both individually and collectively.

Santé publique France remains committed to serving the public, working alongside the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) and local stakeholders (healthcare professionals, healthcare facilities, the National Health Insurance, government agencies, local authorities, and associations) to provide the relevant regional authorities and the Ministry of Health with the information needed to manage and control the epidemic.

To this end, everyone’s cooperation and collaboration are essential, and we thank you once again.