Mauritius: new restrictions after an upsurge in COVID-19 cases

PORT-LOUIS | The paradise island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, on Friday imposed a series of new restrictive measures to cope with an upsurge in COVID-19 cases, despite a high vaccination rate.

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Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth announced the restrictions in a televised address to the nation the day before, accusing people who do not follow health protocols of being responsible for the increase in the number of infections.

“The state cannot fight the spread of COVID-19 alone,” he said.

Mauritius had fully reopened its borders to international tourists at the beginning of October, in the hope of reviving its tourism activity, vital for its economy, after long months of shutdown due to the pandemic.

But according to the latest figures communicated to the World Health Organization on Friday, Mauritius has 18,979 cases and 240 deaths, against about 12,600 infections and 44 deaths on October 1.

Most of the new cases are linked to the Delta variant, according to the Department of Health.

Schools in Mauritius were closed earlier this week with all classes to be conducted online, while bars and nightclubs have been ordered to close and concerts and sports competitions have been suspended.

The government also limits the number of participants at gatherings such as weddings and funerals, but beaches remain open – although picnics are prohibited there.

In his speech, Jugnauth stressed the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and urged people to take booster doses.

Health Minister Kailesh Jagutpal said last week that more than 67% of the population had received two doses of the vaccine.

However, he clarified before Parliament on Tuesday that since the beginning of the year, 61 fully vaccinated people had died in hospital in Mauritius.

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