Contaminations really exploded in a week in Polynesia.
At the end of January, 579 cases were recorded against 2,080 on February 4.
The incidence rate now stands at 753 per 100,000 population, down from 317 per 100,000 the previous week.
However, the sudden increase in the number of contaminations with the Omicron variant has not, for the moment, had an impact on the number of people admitted to the hospital center in French Polynesia, where only five people are hospitalized for Covid, including one in intensive care.
A situation that contrasts with that known between August and September 2021 with the Delta wave.
This caused the saturation of the hospital and the death of at least 500 Polynesians, most of them unvaccinated.
Tahiti particularly affected
"It's an epidemic of severe colds without significant health impact," said Pierre Mallet, head of blood collections at the blood transfusion center of French Polynesia. The age of infected people is lower than for previous contagions. The average age is 33 years old. “Young people have a more intense social life and they are less vaccinated than older people,” he adds. However, there is no question of closing classes but of respecting sanitary gestures: “A sick child stays at home and does not go to see his friends at the risk of contaminating them”, he says.
Today, according to the authorities, the epidemic is local, with significant contamination in Tahiti but also in the islands.
No archipelago is spared, and a cluster was recently recorded on Hao Island.
The vaccination pass will come into effect on February 8.
For now, following a contagion of staff, three vaccination centers are closed until February 11.
On the other hand, a large vaccinodrome remains open until Sunday in Papeete.
In addition, from this Saturday, pediatric vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 will begin at the nursing institute in Mamao.