Mauritius had a quite gloomy week after the death of a jockey during the first day of the horseracing season on Saturday and the arrest early morning arrest on Monday of lawyer Rama Valayden for having participated in a pacific demonstration on Sunday. Here's an insight into what happened.
Investigations following the death of jockey Nooresh Juglall
This week, the police began its investigation regarding the tragic death of jockey Nooresh Juglall on the first day of the horseracing season on Saturday. Last Sunday, the Director of Public Prosecutions also announced the opening of a judicial inquiry to determine whether the safety requirements have been respected during the races. Several jockeys were also injured on the same day, as well as a horse which had to be euthanized.
COVID-19: British and South African variants present in Mauritius
On Tuesday at the National Assembly, the Minister of Health, Dr Kailesh Jagutpal, confirmed that the British and South African variants of COVID-19 are present in Mauritius. The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) in South Africa communicated the results of its analyzes. Samples were sent there last March for sequencing examinations. Note that the results of the batches sent to England and Reunion Island are still pending.
Mauritius under the effect of an anticyclone
The temperature dropped again on Wednesday due to the presence of an anticyclone in the Mascarene region. Overall, the temperature is expected to drop to 15 and 18 degrees Celsius in certain regions over the next few days, according to the Mauritius Meteorological Station. A strong wind and high sea warning was issued on Wednesday afternoon. Bad weather conditions are expected until Saturday. Gusts of 40 - 50 km/h per hour are expected in some regions.
Mauritius: A high-demand destination on search engines
While the latest official figures point out a 99% drop in tourist arrivals from January to April 2021, there's good news for the tourism industry. According to Skyscanner, a popular tourism website, Mauritius is currently one of the most sought-after destinations worldwide on search engines. From 2019 to 2021, Mauritius moved up 126 places! This is quite encouraging, although the reopening of Mauritian borders hasn't yet been announced.
