Martinique: two union representatives at the forefront against the vaccine obligation die of Covid

Their fight brought them to their ruin. Two union representatives mobilized against the vaccine obligation in Martinique died Monday as a result of the Covid, AFP learned Tuesday from hospital services. According to union sources, they would have been contaminated during a working meeting, with the prefecture, like other participants including the prefect of Martinique, Stanislas Cazelles.

Alain Decaille, president of the federation of independent taxis of Martinique, died at the age of 61. Since September, he had organized several snail operations on the island, to denounce the vaccination obligation imposed on his corporation. After contracting Covid-19, he was hospitalized for three weeks and treated in intensive care, according to the Martinique University Hospital.

The president of the union for the defense of Martinican artists, Aimé Agat, also died after being hospitalized in intensive care. He was 48 years old.

Both were engaged in the inter-union which had called for a general strike on November 22, 2021, to mark its opposition to the vaccination obligation and the health pass. Dams had been erected on the island for ten days, before a method agreement was signed with the state authorities, setting up workshops on seven different themes including health, youth, the high cost of living, transportation, chlordeconemia, fishing and culture.

It was after one of these working meetings that several people had been declared positive, including members of the inter-union and the prefect.

“I am one example among others of people who unfortunately, vaccinated, still had the Covid. But it illustrates the protection of the vaccine, that is to say that I had very small symptoms for two days , and after nothing “, underlined the prefect after ten days of isolation, on the occasion of his first outing on an ephemeral vaccination center.

“Indeed, several members of the inter-union had it. Me, I had it”, confirmed to AFP Olivier Labastide, president of the Federation of taxis of Martinique, while several other union representatives confirmed to AFP, on condition of anonymity, to have also contracted the virus, without specifying their vaccination status .

“Was there any imprudence? I don’t think so. We took the maximum of precautions, the barrier measures were respected, we respected the distances, the prefect himself had it while he was doing it. attention to barrier measures “, continued Olivier Labastide.

According to the latest figures released by the Regional Health Agency on Tuesday, the number of new cases in Martinique is for the moment stable, at 600 new cases of coronavirus recorded from December 13 to 19, against 603 last week. “The hospital was still under great strain due to the large number of people hospitalized, particularly in intensive care”, however, points out the ARS, which fears the imminent emergence of the Omicron variant.

On the island, 127,655 people have a complete vaccination schedule (two injections), or 40.4% of the population aged 12 and over.