Virus pummels French Polynesia, straining ties with Paris

3 years ago 292

PAPEETE – France’s worst coronavirus outbreak is unfolding 12 times zones distant from Paris, devastating Tahiti and different idyllic islands of French Polynesia.

The South Pacific archipelagos deficiency capable oxygen, ICU beds and morgue abstraction – and their vaccination complaint is hardly fractional the nationalist average. Simultaneous outbreaks connected distant islands and atolls are straining the quality of section authorities to evacuate patients to the territory’s fewer hospitals.

“The occupation is, determination are a batch of deaths earlier we get there,” lamented Vincent Simon, the caput of the determination exigency service.

French Polynesia is France’s latest situation successful juggling resources to conflict the pandemic successful former colonies that agelong astir the world. With much than 2,800 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, it holds the nationalist grounds for the highest corruption rate.

And that’s lone an estimate: Things are truthful atrocious that the multi-ethnic territory of astir 300,000 residents stopped counting caller infections arsenic section wellness authorities redeployed aesculapian unit to absorption connected diligent attraction and vaccination alternatively of testing.

Of the 463 virus-related deaths reported successful French Polynesia passim the pandemic, astir took spot implicit the past month. Vaccine skepticism, precocious obesity and diabetes rates, and the determination to reopen to immoderate tourists this summertime person been among the explanations for the existent wellness crisis.

Tensions person surfaced with different virus-ravaged French territories. While the cardinal authorities successful Paris sent hundreds of wellness attraction workers to the French Caribbean implicit the summer, Polynesia received conscionable 10 backup nurses. After weeks of pleading by Polynesian officials, the authorities promised this week to nonstop 100 more.

French Polynesia, whose 118 islands agelong crossed an country arsenic ample arsenic Europe, has wide autonomy from Paris but relies connected the cardinal authorities for wellness care.

“We request help. We person said it before: we cannot get by without it,” Tony Tekuataoa, the caput of exigency services astatine the French Polynesia Hospital Center successful Tahiti, told section television.

More than 330 radical are presently hospitalized with the virus, including 55 successful intensive attraction – good beyond the territory’s capacity.

Beds, mattresses, oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators: Everything is lacking. With 15 to 20 caller deaths per day, ceremonial directors tin nary longer conscionable the demands of families. The macabre creation of ambulances and coffins animates section media coverage.

Hospital authorities are opening caller COVID-19 wards. All aesculapian and paramedical professionals person been requisitioned. The regulatory bureau dispatches instrumentality and unit successful a imperishable authorities of emergency.

The surge is taking a toll connected the intelligence wellness of medics. Meanwhile, disputes implicit vaccinations are tearing immoderate families apart.

“The caregivers were not prepared to spot truthful galore deaths,” Philippe Dupire, aesculapian manager of the French Polynesia Hospital Center, said.

The hospital's workers appealed straight to Macron with a photograph shared connected its Facebook leafage showing the lobby wherever the president made a code during a July sojourn and the aforesaid lobby a period aboriginal – present packed with 20 infirmary beds occupied by microorganism patients.

To curb infections, section authorities imposed a curfew astatine first, past localized lockdowns, and present they've unopen down schools. Obligatory vaccinations person been announced for immoderate sectors, contempt objections successful definite quarters.

Vaccinations are rising, but 8 months into the campaign, lone 38% of the full colonisation is afloat vaccinated, portion 50% person received a archetypal dose. That compares to 67% and 73% nationwide.

Meanwhile, much than 90% of those successful intensive attraction are unvaccinated, arsenic are a ample bulk of those who person died.

The government’s curate for overseas territories, Sebastien Lecornu, blamed the lag connected vaccine skepticism successful a colonisation peculiarly delicate to disinformation. Distrust of authorities is besides an contented among indigenous populations, scarred by the legacy of France’s atomic tests connected Polynesian atolls and decades of efforts for reparations.

Concerned astir the perchance deadly consequences of vaccine avoidance, the person of an independency enactment appealed to each communities to get the injections and to cull mendacious accusation shared online.

While infections whitethorn beryllium peaking successful French Polynesia, experts fearfulness a long, precocious plateau alternatively of a speedy recovery. Epidemiologist Jean-Marc Ségualin said that “nothing precise important is happening that shows an improvement.”

The territory has 1 agleam spot: Nuku Hiva, successful the Marquesas Islands, wherever French Polynesia's vaccination run began successful January and 85% of the colonisation is afloat vaccinated.

In a Tahiti rehab center, a 50-year-old antheral said helium had avoided vaccines due to the fact that of societal media posts calling them dangerous. Choking with emotion, helium described the fearfulness and regret that consumed him portion hospitalized.

One pistillate described struggling for aerial portion successful intensive care, and being incapable to support her eyes open. She urged anyone wrong earshot to get vaccinated.

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Angela Charlton successful Paris contributed.

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