Batsirai is the very first cyclone of the season to affect Mauritian territory. Also in the news, first COVID-19 cases in Rodrigues and 30,000 people fined for not wearing masks.
Cyclone season is now open!
Batsirai is the first cyclone of the Indian Ocean to pose a threat to Mauritian territories. The intense tropical cyclone which is expected to influence the weather in Rodrigues as early as this Friday and in Mauritius on Monday has, however, weakened into a severe tropical storm. Mauritian residents can expect good weather this Friday, despite a few clouds coming from the East during the night.
More than 60 cases of COVID-19 identified in Rodrigues in a day
Things escalated quickly in Rodrigues. After a young woman who has not traveled recently has tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday the 27th of January, aggressive testing began identifying a further 63 cases in just one day. As a result, schools have been closed and the flights between Mauritius and Rodrigues stopped for now. However, amongst the 64 cases of COVID-19, 40 do not show any symptoms and 24 only show very mild symptoms.
30,000 people fined for not wearing masks since August 2021
Yet another controversial fine for failure to properly wear a sanitary mask has sparked anger this week across the island. A young woman who was on her lunch break in a shopping mall was fined for not properly wearing her masks, although she had explained she was eating. Since August 2021, 30,000 have been fined for not wearing or not properly wearing a sanitary mask and police spokesperson Shiva Coothen is adamant that it is a necessary evil in the fight against COVID-19 and that the police has no intention of being more lenient about mask wearing.
