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 42% of hospitalizations and 39% of deaths, while residents of long-term care facilities in the Île-de-France region accounted for 43% 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 20, from May 11 to 17—that is, during the first week of the easing of lockdown measures.
Two weeks after the start of the easing of lockdown measures, the epidemic remained active in the region with 96 hospitalizations for COVID-19 each day (average for the week of May 20–26). The Ile-de-France region accounts for 29% of all Covid-19 hospitalizations in France, representing a hospitalization rate 2.3 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 (2.6% vs. 1.9%) and a number of active clusters relative to the population close to the national average. However, there is a disparity among the departments, with a test positivity rate of 4.7% in Val-d'Oise and 7 active clusters in Yvelines, compared to none in Seine-et-Marne and Val-d'Oise.