Indian and Chinese vaccines soon to be recognized in Europe
This is the assurance given by Dr Catherine Gaud, adviser to the Prime Minister's office. A few weeks back, the European Medicines Agency announced that only Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), and AstraZeneca (Oxford or Covishield) under certain conditions are accepted within the European Union. Thus, expats who wish to travel from Mauritius to EU countries should comply with health restrictions such as quarantine or self-isolation and a negative PCR test upon arrival. But it is expected that the EU will very soon approve other vaccines such as Sinopharm and AstraZeneca / Covishield. So this is good news for expats who had to postpone their Europe travel plans so far. Besides, Mauritius received 60,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine this Wednesday and is expecting 500,000 additional doses of the Sinopharm vaccine during the weekend.
Economic growth of 4.4% expected in 2021
These are the latest figures published by Statistics Mauritius. Mauritius can expect an economic growth rate of around 4.4% after an economic contraction of 14.9% in 2020, followed by a 3.5% depreciation of the Mauritian rupee. As Mauritius gets into its third phase of reopening this Thursday, July 1, and the reopening of borders from July 15, 2021, many sectors have resumed their activities. According to Statistics Mauritius, the economic contraction is due to the declining performance of various sectors over the past year, such as hotels and restaurants, transportation, recreation, arts, etc. The Mauritian economy should now recover gradually with the help of many sectors, including construction sites, free trade agreements, etc.
Free wifi soon available in 234 public places
A call for tenders has already been launched by the Information and Communication Technology Authority (ICTA). The government intends to offer free wifi in some 234 public places across Mauritius and Rodrigues, especially in hospitals, community centres, places of interest, etc. Users will be able to surf at a minimum speed of 2 Mbps for a maximum of 2 hours per day. The wifi terminals should ensure coverage over 100 meters and allow a hundred users to connect simultaneously.
Reopening of nature parks on July 1
Time to rejoice for nature and outdoors lovers! From July 1, the natural parks that remained closed since the start of the March lockdown are reopening. Natural parks such as the Black River Gorges National Park and Bras d'Eau National Park, the Plaine Sophie Nature Walk close to Mare aux Vacoas, will now be accessible. Several islets which are under the aegis of the Ministry of Agro-industry, including Île d'Ambre, Île aux Fouquets, Île aux Flamants and Île aux Oiseaux national parks will also be open to the public. However, the Splash N Fun amusement park in Belle-Mare, the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam botanical garden in Pamplemousses and the endemic Osterlog Valley garden will remain closed until further notice due to renovations.
Registration with parishes to attend Masses
If you are of the Catholic faith and wish to attend Sunday Masses, consider registering with your habitual parish. The Catholic diocese issued an official notice this early this week as Mauritius enters its third phase of reopening. Keep in mind that only 50 people are allowed in churches during masses. Each parish will thus keep a list of people who participated in Masses to facilitate contact tracing if necessary. The same protocol will also apply to funerals, weddings and baptisms. In general, social distancing, the wearing of masks and hand sanitizing are strongly recommended in all places of worship.
