COVID-19: The situation in Mauritius |01 April 2020

Two male patients die in Mauritius as curfew extended for 15 days

• Shops and supermarkets to re-open tomorrow

Two men died of COVID-19 in Mauritius yesterday, making them the fourth and fifth victims of the pandemic in the country. They were 69 and 71 years old respectively.

The 71-year-old man died last night at the Souillac hospital after his condition deteriorated. He was admitted on Sunday March 29.

As for the 69-year-old, he died early yesterday after he was recently admitted to the designated COVID-19 hospital in the south of Mauritius.

Since last weekend, the number of positive cases to the illness has made a huge leap forward with a 40% increase in four days to reach 144. The authorities are desperately trying to keep the population in a confinement state and have extended the curfew in force until April 15.

But the search for food and gas is becoming more and more acute during this end of month period. It is in this context that it has been announced that supermarkets and shops will be allowed to open as from tomorrow in an orderly manner with strict sanitary regulations. Customers going for shopping will be admitted to shops and supermarkets by alphabetical order each day and will only be able to purchase in a limited quantity.

The news has been welcomed with a sigh of relief by all the population but law enforcement regarding the curfew is intensifying on the roads. Members of the regular police force and the army are patrolling main and subsidiary roads to crack down on those who are contravening the regulations. Road blocks can be seen on nearly all main roads of the country and heavy fines are imposed in cases of non-respect of the curfew.

On the economic front, government has come up with measures to support those in the informal sector. It has been announced that a minimum subsistence allowance will be granted to all self-employed.

R. R.