COVID-19: a new rise in the number of cases
Mauritius broke a new record in the number of COVID-19 this week. On Wednesday, 19 new cases had been detected. While most of them are employees of the Wastewater Management Authority (WMA), two cases were detected during screening tests at Victoria Hospital in Candos. These new cases come as the entire population is expecting the second phase of deconfinement due at the end of May. However, Minister of Health and Quality of Life, Dr Kailesh Jagutpal reassures that a new lockdown isn't being considered. However, it's likely that there will be new red zones depending on how the situation evolves. Note that Vallée Pitot has been declared a red zone this week while positive cases were detected in many other regions.
Vaccination: 150,951 people received their 2nd dose
Mauritius received a new stock of COVID-19 vaccines last week. These 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine were shipped from Beijing. Health Minister Kailesh Jagutpal announced that 150,951 people have already been fully inoculated while 232,756 others have already received their first dose. The vaccination campaign is ongoing across the island, and the population is encouraged to get immunised for free.
Reopening of nurseries still unknown
The reopening of nurseries is a great dilemma for working parents, especially those who are working from home until the full reopening. However, the reopening date for nurseries hasn't been announced yet. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare recently stated that regular inspections would ensure that all sanitary measures are being observed and that all precautions have been taken. Nursery staff are also encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Facebook against social media control in Mauritius
The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (Icta) is still determined to control the social media in Mauritius. However, Facebook made it clear that this constitutes a serious threat to freedom of expression and to cybersecurity. On the other hand, Facebook specifies that it has a considerable moderation team around the world and that it intends to employ a full-time speaking Kreol-speaking moderator.
