Key Points

Having risen since Week 29, SARS-CoV-2 virological surveillance indicators continued to increase in Week 32 (August 3–9, 2020) in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region: 816 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed by RT-PCR, compared with 687 in Week 31. The incidence rate, defined as the number of positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants, rose from 8.6 in week 31 to 10.2 in week 32. The positivity rate increased slightly to 1.6%. Among the positive patients, the most represented age groups are those aged 20–30 (27% of cases) and 30–40 (14%). The highest incidence rates are observed in Ain, Rhône, Savoie, and especially Haute-Savoie. The latter department, with a weekly incidence rate down slightly to 22.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (28.6 in Week 31), remains in a “moderately vulnerable” situation.

The weekly number of new cluster reports continues to rise: 15 new clusters were reported in week 32, compared to 11 in week 31. As of August 12, 24 SARS-CoV-2 infection clusters are being monitored, 11 of which are considered under control. The other COVID-19 monitoring indicators show no significant trend in week 32 compared to the previous week.

Contextualized Risk Analysis - Vulnerability Levels

Since May 2, 2020—one week before the lifting of lockdown on May 11—regional teams at Santé publique France, in collaboration with the ARS, have been conducting a daily contextualized risk analysis at the departmental level. This analysis is based on a synthesis of epidemiological indicators, surveillance data, and reported qualitative information (ARS, local authorities, healthcare providers, etc.). It enables the production of a vulnerability level indicator (low, moderate, high) that reflects viral circulation and the impact on the health of the department’s population. Vulnerability, updated daily on a map, is presented at the local level. As of August 11, 2020, among the 101 departments, 80 are at a limited vulnerability level, 19 at a moderate level, and 2 at a high level. In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the department of Haute-Savoie remains at a moderate vulnerability level. The other departments in the region are at a limited vulnerability level as of August 12, 2020.