Planners of upcoming Caribbean carnivals should be taking note of reports from the French island of Martinique, where COVID-19 numbers have skyrocketed following the island’s recent carnival celebrations.
According to the Regional Health Agency, following the carnival holidays, cases of COVID-19 in the neighboring island continue to rise, with 11,391 new infections between March 7 and 13, a 55% increase over the preceding week (7334 cases). The age group with the highest incidence rate was 15 to 44 years.
To date, 141,766 people are fully vaccinated on the French Overseas Territory, which represents 37% of its population.
Martinique has recorded 135,881 cases since the COVID-19 epidemic started in 2020 and the number of deaths 905.
The island’s 2022 Carnival celebrations were heavily patronized by young Martinicans, many of who have regularly opposed and protested against mandatory vaccination protocols imposed by Paris.
Events in Martinique following their carnival celebrations should serve as a warning to those planning carnival celebrations later this year of what is likely to happen. The level of vaccination in Martinique, like Saint Lucia, is unacceptably low.
While high cases of infections may not result in high levels of death and hospitalization, they do affect the productivity of the country negatively and at a time when we need to be performing as efficiently and effectively as we can. We wait to see what happens come July this year, the proposed month for Vax-Mas.
