What is happening in Lozère, where the incidence is now the highest among the metropolitan departments? – BFMTV

The incidence rate increased by 271.4% in seven days in this department, which could lead to the return of restrictive measures to avoid a wave of the Covid-19 epidemic.

“In Lozère, the health situation is deteriorating rapidly”, written Tuesday in a press release the prefecture of Lozère, pointing to the increase in the incidence rate, which measures the circulation of Covid-19 in an area. Wearing a mask is therefore once again “compulsory in establishments open to the public subject to the health pass”. The return of the mask to primary school is also being studied.

With an incidence rate of 102.2 per 100,000 inhabitants over a week (to October 8), this department has indeed the highest level in the metropolis.

The alert in this territory also comes from the rapid increase in the incidence rate: it was only 64.2 on October 5, and 27.5 on the 1st. In seven days, this indicator has therefore increased by 271.4%.

At the national level, the incidence rate nevertheless fell during this period, going from 49.7 on October 1 to 43.1 on the 8th. In the departments around Lozère, the incidence rates hover around 30 with a minimum of 9.1 in Cantal, and a maximum of 66.1 in Ardèche.

Clusters and demographic context

This strong and rapid increase could be due to the appearance of clusters. In a point dated October 8, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) Occitanie indeed declares to have recorded “local situations of clusters which immediately call for appropriate health measures to break the chains of contamination as quickly as possible”, without however citing Lozère.

Mathieu Pardell, director of ARS Lozère, spoke to France Blue “two clusters” in the department. He underlines in passing that the rapid increase in the incidence rate in this area may also be due to the demographic context. With approximately 76,000 inhabitants, “a rate of 100, that makes us between 80 and 90 cases in the department,” he explains. Compared to the small population, each case quickly leads to an increase in the indicators of the epidemic.

Thus, if the incidence rate is particularly high in Lozère, hospitalizations for Covid-19 are at their lowest with only one person being hospitalized, and person in intensive care, according to the latest ARS bulletin. These numbers are by far the lowest in the region.

“Analyze the causes of this epidemic outbreak”

Mathieu Pardell, however, does not sweep aside the concern about the current situation. Vaccination coverage is therefore lower than the national average in this territory, with 70% of first-time recipients, and 68.9% of people with a complete vaccination schedule. Nationally, these figures are 75.5% and 73.3%.

On the other hand, the ARS stresses that the indicators of the epidemic continue to increase.

“Despite clusters in schools, we have an increase of more than 500% for the incidence rate for 45/65 year olds, which is not linked to these clusters”, explains Mathieu Pardell, “he we will need a few more days to analyze the causes of this epidemic outbreak “.

The prefecture and the ARS call on the population to respect barrier gestures and to be vaccinated, recalling that in the event of “deterioration of the indicators, other measures may be put in place”.

Salome Vincendon BFMTV reporter