The prefectures of Eure and Seine-Maritime explained at the end of the morning in an exceptional press conference the health situation which justifies these new containment measures. Bad figures detailed by the ARS.
–
What exactly is the health situation in the departments of Eure and Seine Mariime? What are these frightening figures which justified this new confinement which surprised more than one?
The prefectures of the two departments concerned held two press conferences this Friday morning. The director of the‘ARS Normandie, Thomas Deroche, was invited to give more details on these bad figures and the worrying curves of the epidemic which exceeded its alert thresholds reached last November.
#COVID19 – Follow the press conference of J. Filippini, Prefect of Eure and T. Deroche, DG @ars_normandie live with the #ConfPresseEure. pic.twitter.com/GDmC83QGj3
– Prefect of Eure (@ Prefet27) March 19, 2021
In the Eure, rates soared in just 48 hours to exceed the national average. The result of a faster progression of the British variant. It is in fact a new epidemic which has propelled the department in the lead since mid-February. The incidence rate is high and reached 312 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, 16 points more than this Thursday.
Clearly, one in ten people tested is positive for the virus, but the tests have doubled and increased to 3000 tests per day.
Overloaded intensive care services in the two confined departments
In the Eure, it has been a month since the number of patients hospitalized for Covid-19 is increasing. There are currently 11 to 15 intensive care patients, but at the Evreux hospital, only 12 intensive care beds are usually available. The objective is therefore to amplify these capacities to be able to increase them to 23 beds.
And to do this, the whole system must be mobilized, including the private sector. The clinics thus participate by taking charge of other non-covid activities and operations to free up hospital beds. In addition, some patient transfers have already been made in neighboring departments, but they must have been stopped, because the reception capacities there too are very limited, as in Seine-Maritime for example, a department which already knows for 48 hours of very strong tensions.
Since Wednesday, it has therefore been requested to deprogram 30% of non-urgent operations. For example, in Seine-Maritime, the tension is so high that the CHU had to postpone 40% of its surgeries to it.
The incidence rate jumped there to exceed that of the Eure, with 351 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, i.e. + 27 points in barely 24 hours, an exponential increase mainly concentrated in Rouen and its agglomeration.
To face it, 116 resuscitation beds have already been opened in Rouen, and they should go up to 130 beds in the next few days.
For the director of ARS Normandie, he was “urgent to act”.
Interview with Thomas Deroche, director of ARS Normandie
•
© France 3 Normandy
–
No clusters in schools
Despite everything, it seems for the moment that no new worrying source of contamination has been observed at this stage in schools.
In the Eure, alone 83 students out of 114,258 have tested positive and 5 classes only were closed temporarily.
As of Monday, schools and colleges will continue to open their doors. Indoor sports activities can resume there, but with a reinforced protocol. Saliva tests will also be continued and encouraged there.
A boost on vaccinations
To respond to this pressure from the virus, the authorities have chosen to step up the ramp-up of vaccinations in the coming days.
Currently, 49% of those over 75 have already received their first injection in Seine-Maritime, (i.e. 3 points more than the national average) and 95% of the EHPAD population is already protected.
From next week, with the return of the Astra Zenecca vaccine, new deliveries will accelerate the movement by 30%, with the receipt of 10,000 more doses including 7,000 in Seine-Maritime and 3,000 in Eure.
From this weekend, 600 vaccination centers will open their doors free of charge and mobile units will crisscross the 2 departments, in rural areas, such as Aumale, Foucarmont or Blangy-surBresle.
© Prefecture of Seine-Maritime
–
48 hours of pedagogy and reinforced controls
The prefects have warned. After the weekend during which tolerance and education will be the order of the day, reinforced controls will multiply throughout the territory concerned on the roads, but also on the trains, and each trip will have to be justified.
Only compelling and professional reasons will be accepted. The objective is to accentuate the effectiveness of these restrictive measures through their strict compliance.
