“
They chose the worst time to re-define!
".
Max *, who works in the tourism sector in Sainte-Luce in Martinique, is saddened to see the life of the island suspended at the very moment when it explodes each year under the joyful visit of onlookers and vacationers.
But the lights are red in overseas destinations, and the long-awaited vacation is well and truly ruined by the Delta variant.
On social networks, travelers and expatriates do not hide their disappointment.
Read also: Covid-19: overseas hit by the fourth wave
"
If you knew how I am fed up with making this kind of publication
", introduces Ludo, half-ironic, half-exasperated by posting the new prefectural press release of Martinique dated July 29, and which imposes a new confinement from Friday for a period of at least three weeks. "
In the middle of the summer season, life on the island comes to a halt and this will still leave traces
", worries Ludo. On the Facebook group he runs, which brings together some 30,000 “
fans
” of the West Indian islands, reactions are rife. "
Too often here, people want to impose the same restrictions on us as in France, even though we are islanders and that changes a lot of things ... being confined in Martinique with the sun, the sea and the song of birds is very difficult.
Instead, let's practice barrier gestures!
», Exclaims Lucie, resident of Martinique.
On the island, however, less than 20% of the population is vaccinated, while the incidence rate reaches 995 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, putting the CHU in a critical situation.
Saturday, the first three patients will be repatriated to metropolitan France in the face of the saturation of the hospital system.
"
Many wonder about the capacity of the prefect to manage this crisis, in comparison with neighboring Guadeloupe which is doing much better
", Judge Ludo.
In the neighboring archipelago, however, the situation is no better. In one week, the number of cases detected rose from less than 300 to more than 1,000 in Guadeloupe, pushing the executive to declare a state of emergency last Wednesday. The director general of the CHU, Gérard Cotellon, said Thursday that "
Martinique has a fortnight ahead
" of the archipelago, and foresees a situation just as "
catastrophic
" as its sister island within a few days. In the meantime, residents are subject to a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Friday: no more sporting events, no more trips for the unvaccinated, who must again provide a compelling reason to enter. and get out of the island. The prefect warned that "
other measures could be taken if the situation becomes more complicated
”, such as the ban on picnics outside.
Vaccinated frustrated
But wouldn't it be on the other side of the Atlantic that the restrictive measures would be the most restrictive?
On Reunion Island strongly affected by the Delta variant, the prefecture, to tighten the screw, has decreed a partial confinement during the day coupled with a strict curfew from 6 p.m. from this weekend, for a minimum period of two weeks.
The Reunionese are limited to only stores within a radius of 10 kilometers, lowered to 5 kilometers on Sundays.
A first since spring 2020.
Read the file: Crazy trips: our gastronomic escapades to the four corners of Europe
Élodie, a young doctor who moved to Reunion to flee the health restrictions in mainland France, has a feeling of injustice. "
I took my husband and my two children on the adventure, and here we are again confined, just when our loved ones come to visit us for the first time
," she exclaims. “
Some have canceled their trip, others had already been there for a few days and are stuck here. We are waiting to see how things develop
”.
In the opinion of Jean Castex, the weakness of vaccine adherence would be the cause, while too many inhabitants are still "
reluctant to vaccination
". "
The West Indians have suffered too much from the
lies related to chlordecone
", tries to explain Ludo. "
But unlike the metropolis where the president has clearly indicated that he would leave more freedom to the vaccinated, here everyone is in the same boat
." For those who received the injection, the frustration is even greater after the promise of immunity. In Reunion, barely three in 10 people are fully vaccinated, compared to more than 5 in 10 nationally. "
Many maintain family reunions, because they are essential in the culture here. People don't care about barrier gestures
, ”explains a mother, expatriate for a year in the Indian Ocean department. “
This annoys us a lot, whereas we made the effort to be vaccinated… We are forced to modify the organization of our holidays, since we had planned to go three days in the mountains. It’s a shame!
», Laments this military woman.
On the side of tourists, many are making good heart against bad luck. "
Within a radius of 10km, everything is finally possible
", comments a user, responding to the desperate call of a tourist on Facebook anxious to know "
what cultural activities are possible
" in Martinique. Because the prefectural decisions still allow access to cultural places and take-out places. Amélie and her husband, who arrived on the island the day before the prefect's announcement, were able to book a last-minute excursion this Friday to see some turtles and dolphins, before the complete closure of tourism agencies. “
Our concern now is the return flight, canceled by Air Belgium… but each day is enough its trouble
», Considers the tourist.
As for the metropolitan people provided with the health pass and having planned their holidays in the overseas territories, they feel their way.
Cancel the tickets, or maintain the projects, against all odds?
Even if it means enjoying nature differently, by yourself and within a limited radius ...
* Some first names have been changed.