This week's news in Mauritius: supermarket prices set to drop, pharmacists oppose a new government reform, scams on WhatsApp, and the government wants to order more COVID-19 vaccines.
Supermarket prices expected to drop
Grocery prices should drop this week according to commerce Minister Soodesh Callichurn. The Minister announced during his press conference that the decrease in the cost of freight, insurance and food imports recently should translate to a decrease in food shopping this week. The minister also said that his ministry was closely monitoring food prices and that the maximum prices of some commodities would be revised accordingly if necessary. In addition, the price of 1 kg Farmland milk has already dropped by Rs 15.15 on Monday.
Pharmacists' on strike as from this Friday
Pharmaceutical Association of Mauritius (PAM) has decided to go on strike starting this Friday to protest against the imminent introduction of the Regressive Mark-Up on certain drugs. According to the PAM, reducing the profit margins of pharmacies as the price of these drugs increases could lead to the closure of many businesses. In an attempt to reverse the decision, some pharmacies will only be open two or three days a week for the next few weeks. The PAM president also called on the Pharmacy Board to regulate the opening hours of pharmacies.
Mauritius Telecom warns against scams
For several weeks, scammers claiming to work for Mauritius Telecom have been deceiving the general public by soliciting confidential information on Whatsapp in exchange for mobile data. Mauritius Telecom warns its subscribers to remain vigilant. In a statement issued on Wednesday, May 10, the telecom company says it has not given any mandate to its employees to collect information in such a way.
The Ministry of Health will be ordering more COVID-19 vaccines
The announcement was made by the Minister of Health, Kailesh Jagutpal, yesterday, Monday, May 8, in Ebène: The Ministry of Health and Welfare will order the "Bivalent Pfizer Vaccine". According to Kailesh Jagutpal, according to a recent census, about 30% of the population wants to be vaccinated again against COVID.
The Minister also pointed out that his ministry had recently written to Pfizer to ask for clarification on the expiration date of the "Bivalent Pfizer Vaccine", as well as the delivery date of a possible order in the next few days.
He also called on the population to always take the necessary precautions against COVID-19, even if the WHO declared a few days ago that this pandemic was no longer a health emergency of international concern.
