Upsurge of cases

andynap

Senior Insider
Recrudescence des cas de coronavirus la semaine dernière

par Valentine Autruffe
18/11/2020

Vingt nouveaux cas la semaine dernière, alors que la moyenne hebdomadaire de six ou sept se maintenait depuis septembre, et des centaines de touristes qui arrivent tous les jours à l’aéroport. Saint-Barthélemy doit réussir un pari délicat : préserver la santé de la population, tout en maintenant l’activité économique.


Les chiffres de la semaine du 9 au 14 novembre n’ont pas encore été publiés, mais selon nos informations, 20 personnes ont été dépistées positives au Covid-19 au laboratoire Bio Pôle.
Le nombre de tests a aussi un peu augmenté, près de 500 prélèvements ont été réalisés sur six jours. Depuis peu le laboratoire a dû ajouter une plage horaire dédiée aux tests PCR le samedi matin, pour faire face à la demande.

Sur ces 20 nouveaux cas il pourrait y avoir ce qu’on appelle des “faux positifs” (JSB 1397), qui sortiraient des statistiques, mais cela n’a pas été confirmé. La semaine précédente (du 2 au 7 novembre), l’île comptait 26 cas actifs. S’il s’avérait qu’aucun ou peu de ces patients n’était déclaré officiellement « guéri », le prochain bulletin sanitaire, à paraître aujourd’hui ou demain, mentionnerait une quarantaine de porteurs actifs à Saint-Barthélemy. Du jamais vu.

L’école, entre autres
Parmi les personnes atteintes par le Covid, deux enseignantes de l’école primaire de Gustavia. La première aurait contracté le virus au cours d’un voyage. Symptomatique quelques jours après son retour, elle s’est fait dépister au laboratoire mardi 10 novembre, et son test était positif. Dans la foulée seize personnels de l’école ont également subi un test Covid, et une autre enseignante s’est révélée être également positive.

Vu les contraintes sanitaires en place à l’école, le vice-recteur, en concertation avec la Collectivité, la préfecture et l’ARS, a décidé de ne pas fermer l’établissement. « Six de ces cas contacts, bien que négatifs au Covid, ont été isolés à leur domicile par précaution », précise le vice-recteur Michel Sanz. Quatre classes n’ont pu être assurées, et les personnes concernées effectueront un second test ces jours-ci pour plus de sûreté. Aucun enfant n’a été identifié comme cas contact. « Avec tout le protocole en place, on considère qu’ils ne sont pas à risque. » La direction de l’établissement tient les parents informés de la situation.

Le même principe a été appliqué au sein de l’entreprise EDF, où un employé avait attrapé le coronavirus. L’ensemble de l’équipe a été dépisté illico, tous négatifs. Enfin, un autre résident de l’île, un homme porteur d’autres pathologies qui représentent un risque, a été évacué la semaine dernière, dans un état de santé préoccupant.

Les tests à J+7,
c’est terminé ou presque

Par ailleurs, les autorités ont mis le holà aux tests systématiques à J+7 (qui d’ailleurs n’avaient jamais été obligatoires, tout comme la septaine). Pour une raison simple : il y a trop de monde sur l’île par rapport aux capacités de dépistage locales. Le laboratoire est submergé, avec pas loin de 500 tests par semaine. Entre les locaux qui voyagent, les cas contacts et les visiteurs…

A l’aéroport, on accueille en ce moment 250 à 300 Américains en villégiature, tous les jours. Ils arrivent tous avec un test PCR ou antigénique réalisé à J-3 avant leur départ. Certains ont besoin de se faire dépister sur l’île, soit en raison de symptômes, soit pour pouvoir repartir selon leur lieu de résidence. New York, par exemple, impose à ses résidents en voyage un test négatif pour pouvoir revenir.

200 euros le prélèvement Covid : gare aux abus !
Aujourd’hui, les tests antigéniques sont validés et disponibles en pharmacie. Le prélèvement se fait toujours par voie nasale, mais l’analyse est plus simple et plus rapide qu’en PCR, bien qu’un peu moins fiable. Pour les tests antigéniques, le prélèvement peut être effectué par les infirmiers ou les médecins, au lieu d’être réservé au seul laboratoire, ce qui facilite les choses. Les professionnels du tourisme peuvent ainsi proposer à leur clientèle qui souhaite se faire dépister de réaliser le prélèvement directement à l’hôtel ou dans la villa, en faisant venir un professionnel de santé. Néanmoins des abus ont été constatés, notamment un prélèvement nasopharyngé facturé à 200 euros par tête aux touristes…

Les visiteurs détectés positifs sont censés s’isoler durant sept jours sur leur lieu de vacances. Possible en cas de long séjour, mais certains préfèrent une autre option : réserver un vol charter pour retourner se soigner à domicile.

Enfin, les tests salivaires à l’aéroport sont imminents. Moins fiables que le nasopharyngé, ils seront réalisés à l’arrivée des voyageurs. Ceux-ci doivent déjà être munis d’un test négatif à J-3 pour entrer à Saint-Barth. Le protocole exact reste encore à définir. Les tests salivaires n’ont pas obtenu la validation de la Haute Autorité de Santé. Saint-Barthélemy sera un lieu d’expérimentation de ce procédé.

En tout cas, déjà que les recoupages des chiffres entre laboratoire et Collectivité, ARS et préfecture ne sont pas évidents (JSB 1397), cette multiplication des systèmes de dépistage rendra plus ardu encore le comptage des cas, et donc le suivi de l’évolution de l’épidémie.

C’est quand
le confinement ?

Outre une certaine appréhension au sein de la population qui voit l’île s’emplir de visiteurs, l’autre crainte qui est sur toutes les lèvres, c’est d’arriver à un confinement similaire à celui appliqué en métropole. La même question s’entend partout : « A partir de combien de cas la préfecture va-t-elle reconfiner Saint-Martin et Saint-Barth?» Tout ce qu’on peut dire, c’est que ce n’est pas à l’ordre du jour pour l’instant. Mais dans le doute, mieux vaut s’astreindre à (vraiment) respecter les gestes barrière.







Upsurge in coronavirus cases last week
by Valentine Autruffe
11/18/2020

Twenty new cases last week, down from the weekly average of six or seven since September, and hundreds of tourists arriving at the airport every day. Saint-Barthélemy must succeed in a delicate bet: to preserve the health of the population, while maintaining economic activity.


The figures for the week of November 9 to 14 have not yet been published, but according to our information, 20 people have tested positive for Covid-19 at the Bio Pôle laboratory.
The number of tests has also increased slightly, nearly 500 samples were taken over six days. Recently, the laboratory has had to add a time slot dedicated to PCR tests on Saturday morning, to meet demand.

Of these 20 new cases there could be what are called "false positives" (JSB 1397), which come out of the statistics, but this has not been confirmed. The week before (November 2-7), the island had 26 active cases. If it turned out that none or few of these patients were officially declared "cured", the next health bulletin, to be published today or tomorrow, would mention around 40 active carriers in Saint-Barthélemy. Never seen.

The school, among others
Among those affected by Covid, two teachers from Gustavia primary school. The first reportedly contracted the virus while traveling. Symptomatic a few days after her return, she was tested in the laboratory on Tuesday, November 10, and her test was positive. Sixteen school staff were also tested for Covid in the aftermath, and another teacher also tested positive.

Given the health constraints in place at the school, the vice-rector, in consultation with the Collectivity, the prefecture and the ARS, decided not to close the establishment. "Six of these contact cases, although negative for Covid, were isolated at their home as a precaution," said Vice-Rector Michel Sanz. Four classes could not be insured, and those affected will be carrying out a second test these days to be on the safe side. No child has been identified as a contact case. “With all the protocol in place, they are considered not to be at risk. The school administration keeps parents informed of the situation.

The same principle was applied within the EDF company, where an employee had contracted the coronavirus. The whole team was screened immediately, all negative. Finally, another resident of the island, a man with other conditions that pose a risk, was evacuated last week in a worrying state of health.

The tests on D + 7,
it's almost over

In addition, the authorities put an end to the systematic tests on D + 7 (which by the way had never been compulsory, just like the septaine). For a simple reason: There are too many people on the island for the local screening capacities. The lab is overwhelmed, with close to 500 tests per week. Between locals who travel, contact cases and visitors ...

At the airport, we currently welcome 250 to 300 Americans on vacation, every day. They all arrive with a PCR or antigen test carried out on D-3 before their departure. Some need to be tested on the island, either because of symptoms or to be able to leave depending on where they live. New York, for example, requires its traveling residents to test negative in order to return.

200 euros the Covid levy: beware of abuse!
Today, antigenic tests are validated and available in pharmacies. The sample is always taken nasally, but the analysis is simpler and faster than with PCR, although somewhat less reliable. For antigenic tests, the sample can be taken by nurses or doctors, rather than being reserved for the laboratory alone, which makes it easier. Tourism professionals can thus offer their customers who wish to be tested to take the sample directly at the hotel or in the villa, by bringing in a health professional. However, abuses were noted, in particular a nasopharyngeal sample invoiced at 200 euros per head to tourists ...

Visitors who test positive are supposed to self-isolate for seven days at their vacation spot. Possible in case of long stay, but some prefer another option: book a charter flight to return to home for treatment.

Finally, the saliva tests at the airport are imminent. Less reliable than the nasopharyngeal, they will be performed on arrival of travelers. They must already have a negative test on D-3 to enter Saint-Barth. The exact protocol is yet to be defined. The saliva tests did not obtain validation from the Haute Autorité de Santé. Saint-Barthélemy will be a place to experiment with this process.
In any case, already that the cross-checking of the figures between laboratory and Collectivity, ARS and prefecture are not obvious (JSB 1397), this multiplication of screening systems will make the counting of cases even more difficult, and therefore the monitoring of the evolution. of the epidemic.

When is it
confinement?

In addition to a certain apprehension among the population who sees the island filling up with visitors, the other fear that is on everyone's lips is to arrive at a containment similar to that applied in metropolitan France. The same question is heard everywhere: "From how many cases will the prefecture re-define Saint-Martin and Saint-Barth?" All that can be said is that this is not on the agenda just yet. But when in doubt, it is better to make sure you (really) respect barrier gestures.
 
Re: Recurrence of cases

Good job Andy. I was just going to post this also. Definitely worth a few minutes to read it through. Hopefully the airport arrival testing, when fully implemented, will help the situation.

Phil
 
Sadly, nothing will help the situation as long as there are public events with no masks, crowded bars and restaurants with no social distancing... and large numbers of people partying on boats at Colombier every weekend.... we lived through one lockdown already, not really looking forward to another thanks to people who don't play by the rules or rules that are too loose to control the situation. It's a choice the island has to make now, or lockdown is around the corner I'm afraid.
 
The more I read the more I think our February trip is not going to happen.

I didn't follow all of it, but I thought the test at the lab was 135 euros and required if staying longer than 7 days?
What is the sentence about 200 Euros?
 
Sadly, nothing will help the situation as long as there are public events with no masks, crowded bars and restaurants with no social distancing... and large numbers of people partying on boats at Colombier every weekend.... we lived through one lockdown already, not really looking forward to another thanks to people who don't play by the rules or rules that are too loose to control the situation. It's a choice the island has to make now, or lockdown is around the corner I'm afraid.

This makes me so sad to hear.
 
The more I read the more I think our February trip is not going to happen.

I didn't follow all of it, but I thought the test at the lab was 135 euros and required if staying longer than 7 days?
What is the sentence about 200 Euros?

Some of the hotels and agencies have been arranging in-hotel or in-villa testing by a medical professional. Some have charged €200 for the service.
 
I didn't follow all of it, but I thought the test at the lab was 135 euros and required if staying longer than 7 days?
What is the sentence about 200 Euros?
Thanks for the explanation!

yes but that has been stopped and was considered an "abuse" of the situation...

and the 7-day test, which was never obligatory apparently, is no longer 'required' - basically because the lab cannot keep up with the demand.
 
Elgreaux, that's not very good news. The 7 day test, while a inconvenience I'm sure for some, is an important marker for possible covid number increases. If there is demand as you say then I would have hoped they would have been able to ramp up testing.
 
Elgreaux, that's not very good news. The 7 day test, while a inconvenience I'm sure for some, is an important marker for possible covid number increases. If there is demand as you say then I would have hoped they would have been able to ramp up testing.

think mom & pop grocery store in the state, same as the clinic here, ( its small) so do the math. the 7 day test was never mandatory anyway.

I do not think the island will have another lockdown. it will be high season soon and almost everything on the island is open. we have passed the pilot's v1 point, no turning back now.
 
That’s what they were saying in Sweden a few weeks ago. Hopefully the climate differences will produce outcome differences.
 
I didn't follow all of it, but I thought the test at the lab was 135 euros and required if staying longer than 7 days?
What is the sentence about 200 Euros?


yes but that has been stopped and was considered an "abuse" of the situation...

and the 7-day test, which was never obligatory apparently, is no longer 'required' - basically because the lab cannot keep up with the demand.

Oh boy, this gets more confusing, but plenty of time to sort it out and keep up with the posts on this board, if the island doesn't shut down again.
So not required and we are scheduled to stay 3 nights on St. Maarten or St. Martin on the way back so we still might need the test on the 7th day before we leave for that stay.

Meanwhile the paper this morning in NJ says expect a peak by the end of the year for our state as we continue to post daily records for new cases.
 
I didn't follow all of it, but I thought the test at the lab was 135 euros and required if staying longer than 7 days?
What is the sentence about 200 Euros?


yes but that has been stopped and was considered an "abuse" of the situation...

and the 7-day test, which was never obligatory apparently, is no longer 'required' - basically because the lab cannot keep up with the demand.
I can’t understand why we are now saying the J+7 test was not mandatory after there had to be dozens of discussions on when to take it, if it was needed on departure day etc. I’m confused.
 
I can’t understand why we are now saying the J+7 test was not mandatory after there had to be dozens of discussions on when to take it, if it was needed on departure day etc. I’m confused.


the 7 day test was on the honor system jek. only the 3 day test for admittance to the island was mandatory.
 
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