Ajaccio: Health officials here announced an emergency plan on the Mediterranean island of Corsica as a fourth wave of Covid infections spread across the country.

The government also announced it was reactivating a package of measures designed to support medical staff as they brace for a fresh intake of cases.

Health officials on Corsica said they were providing more intensive care beds for Covid patients and mobilising medical staff as hospital occupancy in Bastia, one of the island’s two main cities, passed 79 percent.

The news came a day after Guadalupe became the third of France’s overseas territory to announce a return to partial lockdown because of a “catastrophic” surge in Covid cases there.

Martinique, another French Caribbean island 190 kilometres (120 miles) to the south, returned to lockdown on Friday, while the island of Reunion entered partial lockdown this weekend.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Jean Castex chaired a meeting of the interministerial team handling the crisis. They agreed to use the army to provide more intensive care beds to the overseas territories, his office said.

The government also announced on Tuesday that it would reintroduce overtime bonuses for hospital workers, as well as compensation for paid holidays they could not take because of pressure of work.