Summary

In week 30 (July 20–26), virological surveillance indicators rose sharply in the region: 580 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed by RT-PCR, compared with 301 in week 29. The incidence rate, defined as the number of positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants, rose from 3.7 in week 29 to 7.2 in week 30. At the departmental level, the highest incidence rates were observed in the Loire, Rhône, and Haute-Savoie departments. The latter department, with an incidence rate of 15.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, has been classified as “moderately vulnerable,” along with six other departments in metropolitan France (one department in metropolitan France, Mayenne, and two overseas departments are classified as highly vulnerable). The increase in the number of COVID-19 cases should be viewed in the context of increased testing efforts, with a rise in the number of patients tested (+11% in week 30). However, the increase in the number of positive cases (+92%) is much greater than that of patients tested.
Other COVID-19 monitoring indicators are showing less unfavorable trends. SOS indicators are slightly decreasing and SAU indicators are stable. However, hospitalization indicators from SI-VIC warrant monitoring. While the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 continues to decline, there has been an increase in the number of new hospitalizations, rising from 7 in week 29 to 30 in week 30.
The effective R value, representing the average number of people infected (secondary cases) by a contagious person (index case) calculated based on virological data (SI-DEP), increased in week 30 to reach 1.5 (significantly higher than 1).
The number of new clusters is on the rise: 9 new clusters were reported in week 30, compared to 7 in week 29. As of July 29, 18 clusters are being monitored in 8 departments across the region. In the departments with the highest incidence rates (notably Loire, Rhône, and Haute-Savoie), it is no longer possible to link the increase in detected cases to these clusters.
Week 30 marks a turning point in the evolution of the COVID-19 situation in the ARA region. However, the situation could still be brought under control through the strict application of preventive measures by each of us. Furthermore, given that summer vacations can create situations prone to transmission—particularly during events and gatherings with family, friends, or at parties—prevention messages must be reiterated. The clusters recently observed in certain gathering settings or during ceremonies call for caution. In the absence of a treatment or vaccine, the only preventive measures remain behavioral (hygiene, social distancing, wearing masks, etc.). It is important to emphasize everyone’s individual responsibility and to collectively adopt an approach focused on reducing risks and protecting the most vulnerable, particularly during gatherings.