In the archipelago, the epidemic of Covid-19 “is a health disaster,” said Gabriel Attal.
Le Monde with AFP
The New Caledonia, an archipelago that has 270,000 inhabitants, long spared, has been struck since January, because of the Omicron Variant, by a second wave of contaminations at SAR-COV-2.
As a result, the state of health emergency, which includes displacement ban on home, was declared Wednesday 2 February, announced the government.
“The Prime Minister presented a decree declaring the state of health emergency in New Caledonia,” said the Government spokesman, Gabriel Attal, at the end of the Council of Ministers.
“Under the effect of the Omicron Variant, the circulation of COVID-19 is experiencing a considerable increase in this territory, he added.
” Sanitary disaster “
At 1 er February, the measured incidence rate over the last seven days was 1,468 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, up 40% over this period.
The number of people hospitalized increased – 26 people Tuesday.
“The vaccine coverage is also lower” in New Caledonia than in the hex, has noted the government, adding that “the risks of developing serious forms of the disease are strongly increased and can quickly lead to saturation. Hospital structures on the territory “.
Just over 68% of the Caledonian population received at least one dose of vaccine on January 31, 2022, according to Gabriel Attal.
“The current epidemic wave of Covid-19 is a sanitary disaster, by its nature and gravity, the health of the population, justifying that the state of health emerged is declared,” A-T -This summary.
The state of health emergency “will allow the High Commissioner of the Republic to take displacement prohibition measures outside the home,” the spokesman said, ensuring that these measures would be “strictly proportioned to the health risks incurred and appropriate to time and place circumstances “.