The High Commission confirms that around fifty mobile gendarmes were contaminated in Polynesia before returning to France. Some of them were present at the Red Pepper, an event probably at the origin of the Faa’a gendarmerie cluster.
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The press release from the High Commission:
“A mobile gendarmerie squadron detected positive for Covid-19
72 soldiers from this squadron were deployed in Polynesia from May 22 to August 5, 2020, the date of their return to France. When they arrived in Polynesia, these soldiers had been subjected to a double negative test, as well as a strict fortnight. None of them carried the virus.
At the end of their deployment within all the Polynesian gendarmerie units, these soldiers were all grouped together in the Faa’a camp at the end of July in order to prepare for their return to France.
It was at that time, on the evening of Monday August 3, that the squadron organized a party that could be the event that caused the COVID-19 contagion. Indeed, during this drink in which the 72 soldiers of the EGM participated, as well as local gendarmes and external guests, several individuals, a posteriori carriers of the virus, were present.
These are mobile gendarmes from the Tarbes squadron who participated in the evening at the restaurant “red pepper” on July 31 and who could have been contaminated on this occasion.
This event is certainly at the origin of the cluster of the gendarmerie at the barracks of Faa’a.
As soon as the General Staff of the Gendarmerie learned of the contagion of a first soldier who participated in this departure drink, strict measures of containment, isolation and screening of all potentially infected personnel within the gendarmerie have been implemented. These measures are still in place, and the health investigation is continuing.
At the same time, all the soldiers of the Tarbes squadron were re-screened when they returned to their residence. It was on this occasion that a large-scale contagion was observed in the ranks of this unit.
Updated information will be communicated to you later on the development of the situation.
Interview with Sophie Pauzat, chief of staff of the prefect of Tarbes (Hautes Pyrénées)
“The situation is under control because the screening was carried out relatively quickly”
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