The Covid-19 epidemic continues to affect many people in Mauritius. Should we be worried?
The Prime Minister wants to reassure. In a statement to the press on Wednesday, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said that the number of positive cases does not worry the authorities because the population is protected against the virus through vaccination. The date of October 1 for the full reopening of our borders is still maintained.
But, this is not the opinion of the Mauritian population which is wondering about the increasing number of positive cases reported by the Ministry of Health in its communiqué. On Thursday, 307 cases were reported, a number that is increasing day by day. The lack of information on these cases leaves room for doubt. Very little official information is given on the reported cases and their locations. Worse still, day after day, we are told that 5 other patients are admitted to the ENT hospital but no one has told us if the ENT hospital is at the point of being saturated.
Despite the PM’s assurance, one has the right to wonder if the protocols put in place by the ministry and the government are holding up. Many government offices are no longer safe places for the public. But the real fear of Mauritians is for their children who are forced to go to school despite a situation that seems to be worsening. Every day brings a new batch of affected schools that are closed. Protocols in schools seem to be outdated, as teachers and students in contact are sent home without knowing whether they are positive or not. What is the department’s plan for the remaining children in a class where a positive case has been detected and those in quarantine? In one week, schools will be in recess. So why not decide to put them on vacation starting this week to try to control the spread of this virus in the school world?
Rumor has it that those vaccinated will not go into quarantine or undergo PCR testing. One wonders if contact tracing, with this number of positive cases being detected every day, is still viable.
While the government boasted that it was able to fight the pandemic last year, this year the situation seems to be out of control. And the lack of communication allows false news to circulate and causes a lot of fear among the population.
RN
