As of 15th October 2021, the citizens of Reunion Island can freely move around again. The reopening of the island can now be considered. This controlled freedom has lasted nine weeks, that is since 31st July, due to the virulent spread of the Covid 19.
“For nine weeks, the improvement of the sanitary situation has been confirmed in the island“, indicated the prefecture and the Regional Agency of Health of this island of the Indian Ocean on Tuesday in a common document. The decree was presented to the Council of Ministers on Wednesday by Sébastien Lecornu, the Minister for Overseas France, and Olivier Véran, the Minister for Solidarity and Health. This state of emergency ends as allowed by Article L. 3131-14 of the Public Health Code.
As explained in this press release, the people of Reunion have respected the barrier measures and the braking measures as well as a progress in vaccination, with nearly 70% of the eligible population vaccinated with one dose. But vaccination must continue to achieve herd immunity. Nevertheless, with this new decree, the same rules established in France will be applied. Covid tests will no longer be free to the general public, except for those, vaccinated as well as non-vaccinated, under medical prescription or referral from the ‘Assurance Maladie’, especially for contact cases.
As a reminder, this situation has been quite painful for our neighbours. Their confinement, which started on 31st July, was completely lifted on 15th September but the 11pm curfew lasted until 4th October. They can finally move outside a 10 km radius around their home and beyond 5 km at weekends between 19:00 and 05:00.
At the last count from 2nd to 8th October, the number of cases was 241, that is 28.2 per 100,000 inhabitants as compared to over 400 per 100,000 inhabitants at the end of July.
