The Regional Health Agency in Occitanie speaks of a “extremely powerful wave”. In Hérault, this 5th wave led to a sharp increase in the incidence rate. This Thursday, December 16, the department displays an unprecedented rate of 680 new contaminations per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 221 a month ago. It is the third highest rate in the Occitanie region (behind the Pyrénées-Orientales and the Gard). According to the latest figures from the ARS, there are 247 hospitalizations in Hérault, 65 in intensive care due to coronavirus.
Pierre Ricordeau, the Director General of the Regional Health Agency announces the move to level 4 of the healthcare offer throughout the hospital system. This means more deprogramming and a general mobilization of human resources to cope with the strong influx of patients. “We have 700 new conventional hospitalizations per week, in intensive care this flow is approaching 200 admissions per week”, explains Pierre Ricordeau.
“An extremely powerful wave” – the Director General of ARS Occitanie
One confirmed Omicron case
ARS Occitanie recalls that this 5th wave is a wave of the Delta variant. For the moment, only one case of the new Omicron variant has been officially detected in the region. “Several other cases, 300 in total, are under surveillance,” said Pierre Ricordeau, the director general of the Regional Health Agency.