Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 fuel new uptick in cases

The circulation of Covid-19 continues to rise in Monaco and the surrounding French Riviera, with the two new Omicron variants now accounting for the majority of cases.

The fluctuating, and frustrating, health situation that is known as Covid continues with the latest figures showing that the incidence rate in Monaco has now hit 501, up from 411 a week ago, and significantly more than 148 on 30th May, with a positive rate of 17%.

Meanwhile, the incidence rate in the Alpes-Maritimes department has reached 753, with a positivity rate of 26% according to the latest government figures.

Information from the French Health Department shows that the new Omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5, account for 65.8% of cases in the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region, while the Omicron variants BA.1 and BA.2 are now responsible for 34% of cases.

While the Monaco government does not publicly reveal the dominant variants in positive cases, history has shown that the situation in Monaco always mimics that of its close French neighbour.

There also seems to be little variation in who is now contracting Covid-19. The unvaccinated account for 173 positive tests in a population of 100,000, while the vaccinated with a booster shot of less than six months accounts for 152 positive tests.

With the rise in cases comes an increase in hospitalisations in Monaco, which have jumped to 24, with 21 of those being residents. However, there are no patients being treated in the CHPG intensive care unit.

Since the start of the pandemic, 12,887 people in Monaco have contracted Covid, while the Principality has recorded 57 deaths, the majority over the age of 80 years.

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Photo by Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life