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France’s Macron warns of ‘explosive’ situation as Guadeloupe is hit by unrest over vaccine mandates

Violence after a second week of protests against covid 19 restrictions in the French territory of Guadeloupe left burned out vehicles and buildings on Nov. 22. (Video: Reuters)

PARIS — The French government scrambled to respond to protests against covid-19 restrictions in two of its overseas departments in the Caribbean this week, in what President Emmanuel Macron called an “explosive” situation.

After a week of at times violent protests on Guadeloupe, the French government deployed special police forces to the territory of some 400,000 residents over the weekend and was expected to launch a mediating effort on Tuesday.

There were also growing concerns over a general strike in nearby Martinique, an action prompted at least in part by recent coronavirus restrictions but also rooted in a range of other grievances.

In both overseas departments, the French government has implemented rules that are similar to the ones that have been in place in mainland France for months, including a vaccine mandate for firefighters and health workers and a health pass to restrict access to venues.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex tests positive for coronavirus

Those rules prompted weekly protests in mainland France in the summer that have now faded. France’s health pass is seen as the key reason for a significant rise in the country’s vaccination rate since then.

In some of its overseas regions, however, the same approach may be reaching its limits.

Agence France-Presse reported Tuesday that protesters in Martinique shot at police officers and firefighters.

Authorities in Guadeloupe have arrested over three dozen rioters over the past week. There were numerous reports of looting and street barricades, and a regional attorney described the situation as “quasi-insurrectional.”

French Prime Minister Jean Castex was scheduled to meet in person with a delegation from Guadeloupe on Monday evening to discuss ways out of the crisis. But the meeting had to be moved online after Castex’s 11-year-old daughter tested positive for the virus. Later in the evening, Castex tested positive himself.

Case numbers in France have increased by around 80 percent over the past seven days, though they are still at a lower level than in Europe’s most virus-stricken nations.

The French government has appeared confident that its second-dose vaccination rate of 70 percent puts the country in a better position than many others to cope with another wave of the virus. But vaccination rates are far lower in some of the overseas territories, with less than 50 percent of the adult population in Guadeloupe having received at least one dose. A significant share of health staff remains unvaccinated and has faced suspension.

Amid misinformation campaigns, some residents appear to have grown particularly skeptical of mRNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which regulators have found to be safe and effective.

In an effort to ease the tensions, the French government is examining options to provide Guadeloupe with more non-mRNA vaccines, France’s public television channel reported.

Macron had earlier appealed to officials to double their efforts to alleviate concerns. “We must explain, explain, explain and convince, convince, convince,” he said Monday.

Unvaccinated pockets of France expose inequalities and could fuel a winter wave

How vaccine-skeptic France and Germany came to support near-mandates

Despite weeks of protests, France implements health pass at cafes and train stations with little drama

Coronavirus: What you need to know

End of the public health emergency: The Biden administration ended the public health emergency for the coronavirus pandemic on May 11, just days after WHO said it would no longer classify the coronavirus pandemic as a public health emergency. Here’s what the end of the covid public health emergency means for you.

Tracking covid cases, deaths: Covid-19 was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States last year with covid deaths dropping 47 percent between 2021 and 2022. See the latest covid numbers in the U.S. and across the world.

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New covid variant: A new coronavirus subvariant, XBB. 1.16, has been designated as a “variant under monitoring” by the World Health Organization. The latest omicron offshoot is particularly prevalent in India. Here’s what you need to know about Arcturus.

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