Key Points

• After peaking in late September, the decline in incidence continued in Week 42, albeit at a slightly slower pace (-15%): the incidence now stands at 227 per 100,000 inhabitants. The effective R stands at 0.78, stable compared to the previous week. The testing rate decreased slightly in week 42, but the positivity rate remains stable at 9%. Visits to emergency rooms for suspected COVID-19 have also dropped sharply.

• This decline is observed in the most populous sectors: Ile de Cayenne (-16%), Savanes (-19%), and Littoral Ouest (-47%). An upward trend is observed in the Oyapock and Maroni sectors, though with modest numbers of new cases.

• A sharp drop in hospitalizations is also observed, with 48 admissions in S42 (-35%), though intensive care admissions remain stable at 11 per week (compared to 26 per week at the peak).

• The number of deaths also fell last week, dropping from 9 to 4 over the week. The current health impact of the fourth wave (Delta) has nevertheless exceeded that of the third: 109 deaths in 11 weeks.

• Vaccination coverage continues to increase slowly without accelerating, reaching 24.7% for a full course and 33.1% among the eligible population aged 12 and older (+0.5 percentage points in one week).

• One in two Guyanese aged 50 to 74 and four in ten Guyanese over 75 have already received at least one dose of the vaccine, raising hopes for a more limited impact in the event of a new viral outbreak in the territory.