Summary

• Since the emergence of COVID-19 in early March 2020, a total of 232 confirmed cases have been recorded in Martinique; over the past 4 weeks (weeks 21, 22, 23, and 24), the 38 new cases detected by the new surveillance system report a history of travel within the 14 days prior to testing: the source of the new cases is therefore outside Martinique (cases imported from mainland France, Canada, Saint Lucia, French Guiana, and Haiti, etc.);

• Positivity rates are declining and have reached very low levels over the past 4 weeks, below 2% (versus 36% at the end of March);

• Weekly incidence rates increased in week 24 (5%) compared to weeks 21, 22, and 23, primarily due to the influx of newly diagnosed positive cases arriving from mainland France or abroad, who were tested upon arrival in Martinique in accordance with current protocols;

• In primary care, over the past 4 weeks, the proportion of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) seen by doctors in the sentinel network and attributable to COVID-19 is zero, and home visits for suspected COVID-19 conducted by doctors from the SOSmédecins association are virtually nonexistent;

• Developments in the emergency department and intensive care unit: no emergency department visits have been recorded over the past 4 weeks (weeks 21 to 24) except for one “evacuated” case from a neighboring Caribbean country;

• Conclusion: To date, Martinique remains classified as having a limited vulnerability level due to the absence of evidence suggesting local transmission in the community or in healthcare settings. No cases or clusters of cases have been detected on the island. The diagnosed cases are those with a history of travel prior to the detection of SARS-CoV-2 during routine testing conducted upon travelers’ arrival. The primary risk of a resurgence of the COVID-19 epidemic therefore lies in the emergence of one or more transmission chains originating from imported confirmed cases. Increased vigilance must therefore be maintained regarding the monitoring of these new imported cases and the management measures that have so far made it possible to contain the epidemic risk.