Abstract

Following a gradual increase in COVID-19 cases in early February, the Île-de-France region experienced rapid community spread in March, with the epidemic peaking in week 13, from March 23 to 29. The impact of the epidemic was significant in the Île-de-France region. Patients hospitalized in the region accounted for 30% of hospitalizations and 39% of deaths, while residents of long-term care facilities in the Île-de-France region accounted for 42% of deaths in such facilities across France recorded since March 1.

The lockdown was followed by a sharp decline in the use of healthcare services for COVID-19, first observed in outpatient care during week 14, from March 30 to April 5, and then in hospitals starting April 7, which continued through week 23, from June 1 to 7, four weeks after the lockdown was lifted.

However, the epidemic remained active in the region, with 50 hospitalizations for COVID-19 each day (average for the week of June 3–9). The Ile-de-France region accounts for 30% of all Covid-19 hospitalizations in France, representing a hospitalization rate 2.4 times higher than that observed in all other regions combined. This rate has fluctuated little over the past three weeks.

When considering the earliest indicators, the situation in the Île-de-France region is similar to that of mainland France, with a PCR test positivity rate slightly above the national average (2.0% vs. 1.5%). However, there is a disparity among departments, with a test positivity rate of 3.5% in Val-d'Oise compared to 1.5% in Paris.

Controlling the epidemic now depends primarily on controlling clusters.