The most important thing to remember about the National Communication Committee’s press conference on 30 July is the invitation to all opponents to Covid vaccines to get themselves vaccinated. It is clear to the government that in this fight: the right of the individual versus the good of the population, it is the interest of the mass that must prevail in these pandemic times. Four new sectors are under compulsory vaccination as of 15 August. 17 vaccination centres are open to the public every day in alphabetical order.
4 sectors under compulsory vaccination
These joint announcements were made by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Steven Obeegadoo and the Minister of Health, Kailesh Jagutpal, during a press briefing by the National Communication Committee, NCC, on Friday 30 July in Port-Louis. After the health and education sectors, it will be the employees of the port, airport, prisons and old people’s homes who will be in the obligation to get vaccinated. In the meantime, those who have not yet been inoculated will have to provide a negative PCR test. This follows the recent rise in positive cases recorded among staff and visitors in these sectors. At the Ministers Council on Friday, the Prime Minister even extended the ban on the entry of aircraft and ships to Mauritius until 31 August 2021, but except for aircraft and ships benefiting from a government authorisation.
17 centres available to the public
The government wants to achieve herd immunity through vaccination as soon as possible. The message from VPM Obeegadoo “You must be vaccinated”. From Monday 02 August the 17 Vaccination Centres will be open to all but on time slots and in alphabetical order (not including those with specific missions, the five major hospitals reserved for health personnel and those admitted, the mobile units, the private clinics, and the international vaccination centre). This will be as follows: From 9:00 am to 10:30 am access for those who have made an appointment with the Economic Development Board (EDB). From 10:30 to 15:00 access to the public in alphabetical order. Mondays and Thursdays for A – F, G – N on Tuesdays and Fridays and M – Z on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Current statistics
To date, we have 141 cases, 130 of which are asymptomatic with 11 serious enough to be sent to the ENT Hospital in Vacoas. There are 1819 active cases in the country of which 1806 are asymptomatic. 80 of these cases are thanks to screening and 90 are from dormitories. “From last Friday to this Friday we have received 604 positive cases. We are on a good slope,” said the Minister of Health. With this count, the percentage of the population infected is 0.29%. The explosion of cases daily is not explained but retorted by the figures of asymptomatic cases and the low number of serious cases or deaths attributed to no vaccination, other co-morbidities and old age. The effectiveness of the vaccine was widely praised by both ministers. 676,158 people received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 548,154 their second dose.
Government target
VPM Obeegadoo proudly announced that according to the latest statistics dated Thursday 29 July “54% of the population has already received a first dose and 44% both” the target being that by the end of August 60% of the population receive at least their first dose of vaccine and 60% receive their second dose by the end of September. According to Steven Obeegadoo, reformulating his former estimate, 7 out of 10 adults have had their first dose of vaccine and 6 out of 10 adults have been fully vaccinated: “If we look at this in terms of the vaccinated adult population aged 18 years and above, the figures show that we have exceeded 70 per cent for the first dose for adults and 57 per cent for both doses. Mauritius is at the same level as the European Union in terms of vaccination of the first dose for adults”. Concluding, he said that Mauritius is ahead of its target for the end of August, surpassing Reunion and South Africa.
To summarise, it is the governmental concern that vaccination is necessary for the wellbeing and health of the population and means also that obligation of vaccination is in the air.
