Strict containment of the population will be restored during this weekend in New Caledonia.
The decline in the Covid-19 epidemic is considered insufficient to hope to avoid a rebound, said the local government on Friday.
The archipelago has been confronted for six weeks with a violent first wave of coronavirus, which killed 231, including 5 in the past 24 hours, and infected nearly 10,000 people.
Read alsoCovid-19: the events of the day live
After five weeks of strict confinement, adaptation measures have been in place since Monday: openings of non-essential shops, restaurants with health passes, colleges and high schools.
But they have engendered "too much relaxation", according to the president of the local government.
“We have been able to observe some improvements (…) but this is not enough,” said Louis Mapou, citing a slowly declining incidence rate, currently at 300 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Evacuations in metropolitan France are planned
Also, from Saturday 2 p.m. and until Monday 5 a.m., travel will once again be subject to certification.
Only food shops and pharmacies will be open while the sale of alcohol was banned from this Friday.
The appropriate containment will remain in place until October 31 and the application of barrier gestures until the end of the year, also indicated Louis Mapou.
While 45 of the 61 Covid intensive care beds in the hospital are occupied, "putting a lot of pressure on the medical teams", the government has also asked the army to create 10 additional beds and is considering medical evacuation in metropolitan France. some patients.
In New Caledonia, an autonomous territory with jurisdiction over health, vaccination has been made compulsory, in particular for transport, education, health sector and media personnel, as well as law enforcement and military personnel. .
This list will apply from October 31.
To date, 50.33% of the total population (280,000 inhab.) Has a complete vaccination schedule.
