This week marked the International Music Day celebration and the launch into space of the first Mauritian nanosatellite. Here's a glimpse of the local news in brief.
Music Day celebrated online
Music has the power to unite, even from a distance. For the second year in a row, the International Music Day, observed every year on June 21, was celebrated online. On television, radio and social media, local artists made it special with recorded and live concerts, talks, tributes to musicians, etc. The François-Mitterrand National Conservatory of Music performed privately at the Serge-Constantin Theater in Vacoas.
Mauritius enters space
This is great news for Mauritius. On Tuesday, the first Mauritian nanosatellite, MIR-SAT1, was launched into space by the International Space Station in Japan. This project is an initiative of the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) at the cost of Rs 22 million. Its missions are to collect data on the Mauritian exclusive economic zone, as well as on the environment and agriculture, etc. A dedicated team made up of 6 specialists was set up by the MRIC to coordinate the missions of MIR-SAT1.
International vaccination cards required for those who wish to travel
If you have already been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are planning to travel very soon, you will need an international vaccination card, according to a notice issued on Tuesday by the Ministry of Health. The application must be made at the International Vaccination Center located on the 1st floor of the Mutual Aid Building in Port Louis. The opening hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday. When applying, you will need to produce your identity documents, vaccination card, and flight booking. It's worth noting that more than 468,000 people have already received their first jab in Mauritius, while 220,000 people have already been fully vaccinated.
Mauritius wants to attract vaccine manufacturers
A call for expressions of interest was recently launched by the Economic Development Board (EDB) to international manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines to come and set up in Mauritius. This was confirmed by the Minister of Finance, Renganaden Padayachy, this week in the National Assembly. According to him, attracting international vaccine manufacturers could kickstart the launch of the pharmaceutical industry in Mauritius. In fact, this is one of the Budget 2021-2022 measures.
