Mauritius reopens its borders this Thursday
This was a long-awaited moment for many. Mauritius is finally reopening its borders to foreign nationals under certain conditions from this Thursday. Indeed, during this first phase of reopening, until the beginning of October, paid quarantine on arrival remains mandatory. However, the country is expecting to welcome more tourists compared to the last six months. According to Statistics Mauritius, only 3,225 tourist arrivals were recorded in Mauritius from January to June 2021. In June alone, only 280 tourists arrivals were recorded. In the first six months of 2020, by contrast, there were 304,881 tourist arrivals.
Price drop of 243 brands and vegetables
Consumers in Mauritius woke up with pretty good news this week. As of Monday, the prices of no less than 243 brands of consumer goods, including edible oil, margarine, powdered milk, dried grains, canned tomatoes, etc., dropped significantly. But that's not all! The prices of many local vegetables, such as tomatoes, carrots and cabbages, etc., have also dropped by nearly 17% in recent weeks. However, consumers should expect a new rise in prices in the coming months with the complete reopening of borders and recovery of the tourism industry.
Leisure: track days at the Anjalay Coopen Stadium
If you like track rides, here's some good news for you. Track days are back this weekend, that is, from Saturday, July 17 to Sunday, July 18, the Anjalay Coopen stadium, located in Belle Vue-Harel. A special track has been set up in the parking lot. However, a maximum of 50 people will be allowed on the circuit simultaneously, according to current health restrictions. For those who wish to participate in this event organized by the Motor Racing Club, fees are Rs 400 per car for two people.
Mauritians in low spirits
You have probably heard of the legendary Mauritian hospitality. But don't be surprised to see a different picture today, especially in the pandemic era. According to a recent poll by Kantar Indian Ocean, Mauritians are currently in low spirits for several reasons, including the rise in the prices of basic goods since the start of the crisis, etc. So the Confidence index dropped from 50 points in the first quarter to 48 points in the second quarter of the year. In 2020, the Confidence index dropped from 53 points in the first quarter to 50 points in the third quarter. Besides, a large proportion of respondents are dissatisfied with the way Mauritius dealt with the COVID-19 crisis.
More than 2,800 foreigners living illegally in Mauritius
The figures were communicated this week by the Prime Minister, Pravind Jugnauth, to the National Assembly. Currently, 2,879 foreign nationals are staying illegally in Mauritius. These include 2,294 missing foreign workers and 585 foreigners having expired tourist or business visas, most of them being Nigerians, Malagasy, Indians and Ghanaians. The Passport and Immigration Office (PIO) has already set up an operation to trace them. Besides, the names of these foreign nationals are added to the PIO's “Controversial List”.
