Entry ban for travellers from Brazil and Japan
Travellers from Brazil and Japan, including those who stayed there for the last 14 days, are not allowed into Mauritius until February 28 due to the presence of COVID-19 variants in these countries. They add to the list of travel bans which includes travellers from the United Kingdom and South Africa. However, there is an exception for travellers who have been quarantined during their transit in France or Dubai before boarding their flight to Mauritius.
COVID-19: Frontliners vaccinated
Mauritius finally started its vaccination campaign this week after receiving 100,000 doses of Covishield. The vaccines, developed by the AstraZeneca-Oxford laboratory and produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), were donated by India last week. Hospital staff were the first front liners to get vaccinated, followed by airport employees and police officers. The campaign should extend to the rest of the population once the country received the 260,000 doses ordered through recent negotiations with a laboratory and those guaranteed by COVAX, an agreement signed between several African countries.
Four new COVID-19 cases detected locally
Four new COVID-19 cases by local transmission were detected this week. Three members of the nursing staff assigned to the Pointe aux Sables treatment centre were infected during quarantine after their service. The other patient is a member of the Air Mauritius cabin crew who was already in isolation at home when he tested positive. Note that to date Mauritius has recorded more than 568 COVID-19 cases, including 10 deaths. More than 1,200 people are currently quarantined in designated hotels and quarantine centres.
The composer of the National Anthem is no more
On February 9, 2021, he would have turned 93. Philippe Gentil, the composer of “Motherland”, the Mauritian national anthem, passed away on Tuesday, January 26. He has had a long career in the Mauritius Police Force and the Police Band. He composed the music that accompanies the lyrics written by Jean Georges Prospère by participating in a competition organised by the colonial authorities in 1967. Philippe Gentil has been decorated as a Member of the British Empire (MBE) and Officer of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (OSK), among other titles.
Post Wakashio: compensation for 50 fishermen's helpers
This week, Japan P&I Club, the insurer of MV Wakashio, disbursed the first sum of 1 million rupees to compensate fifty fisherman's helpers affected by the oil spill. These people were not eligible for the government's "Solidarity Grant". Each of them received Rs 20,000 on average. Still, the insurer has received some 3,000 claims until now. These claims are being assessed individually. More payments are expected in the coming days and weeks.
