Key Points

COVID-19

In the Hauts-de-France region, the continued decline in recent weeks in the number of new confirmed cases, against a backdrop of a slight decrease in testing rates coupled with a drop in the test positivity rate, reflects a reduction in viral circulation. In week 19, the Oise and Aisne departments remain those with the highest levels of epidemic activity.

An improvement in the epidemiological situation is observed across all age groups, but epidemic activity remains high among those under 60.

Epidemic pressure remains high in hospitals across Hauts-de-France, with approximately 2,700 patients still hospitalized for COVID-19 and about 490 patients currently receiving care in critical care units.

The prevalence of the V2 or V3 variants remains low and generally stable at the regional level, but it requires heightened vigilance in the Oise department, where it is three times higher than the regional average, given the more unfavorable epidemic situation in this department and the significant movement of people from the Oise to the Île-de-France region, where this prevalence exceeds 10%.

All-cause mortality

At the regional level, a significant excess of all-cause mortality has been observed since week S43-2020 among people of all ages and those over 65. In March 2021, nearly one in five deaths (19.4%) in the region had been certified electronically, with 20% of these deaths noting Covid-19 as a cause.