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· Mauritius began vaccinations against Covid-19 as a crucial step for the country to revive its tourism sector
· The first lot of 100,000 doses of the vaccines are donation from India
· Some 200,000 additional doses of vaccine are expected to arrive from India by the end of March.
· Mauritius had purchased 240,000 doses of vaccine through the Covax program, an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and private partners for the even distribution of vaccines
Mauritius began vaccinations against Covid-19 as a crucial step for the country to revive its tourism sector.
The first lot of 100,000 doses of the vaccines are donation from India. Some 200,000 additional doses of vaccine are expected to arrive from India by the end of March. That apart, Mauritius had purchased 240,000 doses of vaccine through the Covax program, an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and private partners for the even distribution of vaccines.
Mauritius has a population of 1.3 million. It has officially recorded 568 cases and 10 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Though the number of afflictions and deaths are low, the economic cost has been severe for the island nation, which depends on the tourism sector for the growth of the economy.
Health Minister Kailesh Jagutpal informed that plans are afoot to vaccinate 60 percent of its population in 2021, which can help restore the tourism sector significantly. Once vaccination covers a sizable number of population, tourist flows even from the countries which have a high incidence of Covid-19 cases can be allowed. The vaccination campaign will enable Mauritius to review the conditions of entry of passengers to Mauritius and allow the tourism sector to grow. Presently, visitors to Mauritius must undergo a mandatory test for Covid-19 before quarantining for two weeks.
