With two weeks to go, Mauritius is classified as a level 4 high-risk country for Covid 19 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Ministry of Health nevertheless, states that “Mauritius opens its borders on 1 October” in a communiqué issued on Tuesday evening.
Unlocking the World: Mauritius at 6th position
A level 4, a very high Covid-19 alert, is estimated to be 500 positive cases per 100,000 population over a 28-day period, according to the CDC criteria. Unlocking the World: More island destinations added to CDC’s ‘very high’ Covid-19 travel risk list, by Marie Hunter, appeared on CNN on Monday 13 September and has been picked up widely. The article states that the following countries should be avoided at all costs: Afghanistan, Albania, Belize, Grenada, Lithuania, Mauritius, St Kitts and Nevis, Serbia and Slovenia. The CDC advises people travelling to these countries to get vaccinated.
Mauritius is safe
The Ministry of Health seems confident that “Mauritius continues with its transparent and proactive response to the global Covid crisis as it prepares for the reopening of the borders on 1 October to fully vaccinated people, but in a safe and secure manner”, states the communiqué (See photo).
According to the Ministry of Health, this system has been effective in the pandemic situation as much as the established vaccination program which leads to a low hospitalisation rate. “We have adopted a health-first approach with strict protocols to protect the population since the beginning of the pandemic. Our public health services continue to operate at their normal capacity, with updated protocols where necessary,” says Health Minister Dr Kailesh Jagutpal, pointing to the fact that Mauritius is one of the countries with the highest vaccination rates, with more than 60% of its population fully vaccinated. The Minister did not fail to point out that “by the end of September, the under-18s will also be concerned by the campaign”.
For his part, Dr Laurent Musango of the WHO added “We must now learn to live with Covid-19. The vaccination exercise in Mauritius was good and the vaccination rate is high enough that it is safe to now ask the population to resume their normal lives while respecting the barrier measures.
2 deaths on Tuesday evening
As of Tuesday 14, the country has 122 positive and asymptomatic cases, 2 symptomatic cases admitted to the ENT in Vacoas and regrets 2 deaths directly attributed to Covid-19. 1.04% of the population is currently infected.
