Key Points

Summary of surveillance of the COVID-19 epidemic in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur:

• Continuous circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in the region between March 2020 and February 2023, with a succession of epidemic waves of varying intensity that followed national trends

• The scale and impact—particularly on hospitals—of these waves varied depending on the circulation of different virus variants, the control measures implemented, and the natural and vaccine-induced immunity acquired by the population

• Emergence of the Omicron variant in December 2021 marking a shift in the dynamics: sharp increase in indicators in late 2021 linked to its increased transmissibility, but a decrease in mortality and the proportion of patients admitted to critical care, linked to the lower severity of this variant and its various sublineages

• Significant variation in vaccination coverage across age groups, having plateaued in early 2022

Assessment of the Covid-19 outbreak that occurred in May 2020 among seasonal agricultural workers in three departments in southeastern France:

• 550 cases of Covid-19 detected on farms in the Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse, and Gard departments between May and August 2020

• Numerous screening sessions organized using different strategies on farms, in housing facilities, or in public places

• Complexity of contact tracing due to the housing conditions of the affected population, their mobility, and their difficulties accessing healthcare

• Difficulties in implementing management measures due to farm structures and the organization of seasonal work, which required significant mobilization of various stakeholders

The results of surveillance of COVID-19 cases occurring in long-term care facilities in the region are not described in this BSP, but were the subject of an article in the Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin (BEH) published in September 2023.