Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth finally put an end to rumours of a new lockdown on Thursday evening. However, he calls for more responsibility among the population faced with a new Covid-19 wave after the relaxation observed in recent weeks.
As of Thursday evening, Mauritius had 151 new positive Covid-19 cases, including 142 asymptomatic patients. Nine patients requiring treatment were admitted to ENT Hospital in Vacoas. On Tuesday, 186 new cases had been reported. This is considered a dramatic situation despite the high vaccination rate among the population. Indeed, to date, 909,024 people have received their first dose vaccine, and 869,922 have received their second dose, according to the Ministry of Health. Unfortunately, this does not seem to reverse the contamination trend.
What is also alarming is the number of deaths reported daily and the age groups. According to the Ministry of Health, 63 deaths have been recorded from October 29 to November 10. In addition, 3 of the patients who died from November 1 to 9 were under 40 years old. Previously, most of the deaths recorded were those of people over 50 years of age with co-morbidities. On Thursday, November 11, an 18-month-old child with a rare disease who tested positive for Covid-19 died.
Social life
The population had been anticipating stricter measures to contain the virus. However, a series of previous measures have been reintroduced from this Friday. Gatherings, whether for weddings, funerals or other types of public and private meetings, are limited to 50 people until further notice. In all cases, the organisers are required to obtain police approval. Regarding places of worship, only 10 people are allowed at a time, in compliance with health regulations.
If you are a beach lover, don't stress! Beaches remain open for swimming or walking. On the other hand, picnics are strictly prohibited until further notice. The authorities warn that the police will be patrolling beaches to prevent any gatherings.
Restaurants, fast foods and food courts also remain open, but only to vaccinated people. Wearing a mask remains compulsory for their staff. In addition, a two-meter spacing is recommended between tables.
On the other hand, bars, nightclubs, concerts, reception halls, community centres, kids playgrounds, etc., remain closed and socio-cultural activities are prohibited.
What about sports activities?
Only outdoor individual and team sports are allowed until December 13 for vaccinated people. Sports complexes and gymnasiums remain open but only accessible to fully vaccinated people. A maximum of 50 people at a time, or one person for every 4 square meters, is allowed. Fitness trails and public gardens will also be accessible. That said, sports competitions are prohibited until further notice. Horse racing will be held in-camera with a maximum of 150 employees.
Work from home
Even though we are not in a lockdown, public and private organisations are ensuring the smooth running of their activities over the coming weeks. Arrangements are being made for employees to work from home as far as possible, in line with government recommendations. This is reassuring for parents whose children have switched to online learning again this week. Indeed, all pre-primary, primary and secondary schools are closed, but nurseries and kindergartens remain open.
Sanitary norms
The wearing of masks remains compulsory in all public spaces. Moreover, the police are increasing their patrols to ensure that this law is respected. Remember that not wearing a mask is liable to a fixed penalty of Rs 2000. Regular hand sanitising, as well as temperature checks and social distancing, are also recommended.
