Mauritius to repatriate stranded citizens from France, India and South Africa

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Nandcoomar Bodha, made these announcement this evening, during the daily press briefing of the National Communication Committee on the Covid-19, held from his office, in Port Louis.  He gave an overview of the situation of Mauritians who are still in foreign lands and on cruise ships amid the Covid-19 pandemic.  He also spoke about the financial assistance being offered by Government to Mauritians who are abroad.  The scheme is a loan of 50 000 MUR with a three percent interest rate provided by the State Bank of Mauritius.

As regards the flight to South Africa, it will return South Africans to their country and repatriate Mauritians from Johannesburg.  The flight to Paris will also take delivery of vaccines to re-launch the anti-flu vaccination campaign in Mauritius.

While for India, the Minister highlighted that the state of affairs for this particular destination is very difficult, more so as the air space is closed and there are no domestic flights across India.  Uncertainties are manifold, he stated, yet a flight will be operated on Mumbai to see how to repatriate citizens who are in New Delhi to Mumbai and then back to Mauritius.  This particular flight will in addition enable to collect the Hydroxychloroquine drug, donations as well other medicines that Mauritius usually imports.  Priority will be given to students but most importantly to Mauritians who have gone for medical treatment on the sub-continent, as well as the elderly and then individuals who are in dire need.

The Minister also said that Government has reminded cruise ship companies of their obligation to take care of those people who are still under contract and to ensure that they receive the appropriate health support in these difficult times. 

Speaking about the Covid-19 around the world, Mr Bodha said that the situation is worsening and the number of confirmed cases and the death toll are constantly rising.  In Mauritius, he emphasised, the authorities are doing their best to handle the situation and to avoid a second surge of the Covid-19 as has been the case in Singapore, China, and now in Japan and, this will be made possible by taking all necessary precautions. 

He thus exhorted one and all to remain very cautious, and cited Rodrigues Island  which has remained free of the Covid-19 as an example for the world.  Presently, in Mauritius the virus is under control and the situation is being monitored, the Minister stated and to avoid risks of second surge it is important to remain under lockdown and respect the social distancing rules and maintain a good hygiene.

With regard to medical equipment, he observed that actions are initiated to ensure that Mauritius has the required medical equipment, tests, treatment and medicines in response to the virus.  Rapid tests will be carried out shortly and this will allow to test many people at one go especially front-liners, he indicated.

On that note, Mr Bodha remarked that it was important for Mauritius to have all the equipment, the tests and the medicine ready to go through the current crucial phase, that is, the peak of the virus.  Thus, five flights from Beijing, with the last one which arrived on Saturday, two flights from Guangzhou, have been operated and a flight is scheduled tonight to take delivery of the rapid tests from Hong Kong.  The latter tests will allow faster results that those of the PCR tests which have to go to laboratories.  An additional three flights from Guangzhou is scheduled. 

Concerning citizens stranded abroad, the Minister spoke about the role of his Ministry in providing necessary assistance to those people wherever they may be.  Currently, there are 3000 Mauritians stranded abroad, out of which 2000 are on cruise ships.  Mauritius’s Overseas Missions have the role to be in close contact with those Mauritians, who are stranded, provide supportand information, he pointed out.  More than 1000 calls and around 3500 emails exchanged with all citizens stranded, he indicated.

The Minister also shared that the number of people stranded in airports varies from one to one hundred, for instance, in India (New Delhi and Mumbai) there are around 100 citizens, also in Madagascar, South Africa, with some 50 in Paris, and 100 in London.The international context is such that airports and the air space are closed and many countries such as India and Turkey as well as the European continent have locked their frontiers and thus there are no flights, he highlighted.  Many airlines are considering operating commercial flights by the end of May 2020 once restrictions are lifted, he said.

Mauritius, he further recalled, has been one of the first countries to have airlifted its citizens from Wuhan, China, that is, where the epicenter of the Covid-19 was at the very beginning of the outbreak of the virus.  We have been able to return around 1000 Mauritians from some 30 destinations.

Covid-19 – Latest figures released are:

·         No new case registered today

·         Active cases are 73 (three Covid-19 patients have left for treatment abroad)

·         Three hundred and twenty-eight confirmed cases

·         Nine deaths have been recorded as at now

·         The number of successfully treated patients is 243

·         Total number of tests carried out as at date is 11 819

·         Passengers in quarantine 14

#ResOuLakaz     BeSafeMoris#