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This statement was made by the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, today, at the National Assembly, in Port Louis.  His speech revolved around the containment of Covid-19 and the progressive re-opening of the Mauritian economy. 

For him, no risks can be taken when it comes to ensuring the safety and security of the population.  Government, he reassured, will stop at nothing to save lives.  It is the reason for privileging a cautious approach and extending the curfew period with the progressive reopening of economic and other activities, he said.  

Mr Jugnauth expressed conviction that the Mauritian patriotic spirit will prevail in this battle and appealed to all citizens to remain on high alert and to continue to strictly observe social distancing and sanitary guidelines.  This is not solely the responsibility of the Government, every single one of us has a role to play, he emphasised.​

Speaking about the reopening strategy and action plan, Mr Jugnauth highlighted that this hinges around one central concern of Government and that is, the continued protection of public health, which remains a top-most priority.  It is imperative to avoid the risk of any set back with a resurgence of the disease that would squander the gains achieved through the confinement as well as to avoid heavy strain on the country’s health services and the economy in general, he indicated. 

Moreover, he pointed out that Government has all along been managing the crisis in a very transparent manner by keeping the population informed daily on the evolution of the Covid-19 situation.  Proactive and bold decisions were taken and implemented to address the emerging and serious threat posed by the spread of the virus since early January, he recalled.  Some of these are: 

·         Timely implementation of quarantine measures and designation of new quarantine facilities

·         Extending all the necessary resources to the healthcare personnel

·         Extending the total ban on travellers to enter the territory of Mauritius

·         Suspension of all flights to Rodrigues to keep the island free from Covid-19

·    Issuing the first Curfew Order on 23 March 2020 to break the circuit of transmission of the virus and extending of the Curfew Order on three occasions

·        Urgent procurement of medical supplies, protective equipment such as ventilators, test kits, swabs, PCR reagents

·        Airlifting more than 340 tonnes of medical supplies and materials from China

·         Launching of sample community screening campaign for Covid-19 using Rapid Antigen Tests, directed towards frontliners

·     Establishing protocol for treatment of Covid-19 patients using chloroquine and other drugs and plasmapheresis in severe cases using blood donated by cured patients 

The Prime Minister Jugnauthenumerated some socio-economic measures introduced to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the population and to reduce their hardships, namely: 

·        Setting up of the Covid-19 Solida

rity Fund

·       Distribution of basic food items to shelters, homes, charitable institutions and to families who are on the Social Register of Mauritius

·        Introduction of Covid-19 Wage Support Scheme and Self-employed Assistance Scheme

·        Allowing people to go out during the curfew to avail themselves of urgent medical treatment and essential supplies

·      Opening of supermarkets, hypermarkets and retail shops, with shopping allowed in alphabetical order and subject to strict sanitary conditions

 As regards the repatriation of Mauritians stranded abroad, the Prime Minister reassured that Government is committed to ensure the orderly and phased return of those citizens.  Efforts are being pursued in the face of numerous challenges arising in the context of the escalating crisis situation and the international and internal flight restrictions and lockdown measures prevailing in those countries, he pointed out. 

The Prime Minister further lauded the commitment, courage and professionalism of all frontliners in fighting Covid-19 and all those who have been helping to keep Mauritius going in these testing and trying times.  In addition, he expressed appreciation for the cooperation, understanding and discipline of the population during the curfew period. 

#ResOuLakaz     #BeSafeMoris

Government Information Service, Prime Minister’s Office, Level 6, New Government Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius. Email: gis@govmu.org  Website: http://gis.govmu.org  Mobile App: Search Gov​