Prime Minister Reassures that no case of Covid-19 reported in Mauritius

He reassured the population that, as at date, no case of Covid-19 has been reported in Mauritius. Moreover, he reiterated the full vigilance of the Mauritian authorities in the wake of such endemic and said said that an awareness campaign on hygiene measures to limit the spread of the virus will be launched.

The Prime Minister made an overview of the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus in Wuhan City, China which has been reported by the World Health Organisation on 31^st December 2019 and which has spread at a fast pace in other regions of China. At 20^th January 2020, he pointed out that 217 cases have been reported in China out of which 198 in Wuhan.

He added that following the deaths of 4 persons in China from the Coronavirus, the Mauritian authorities have spared no efforts to maintain and reinforce strict vigilance to contain a possible outbreak of the virus in Mauritius, adding that the country remains vulnerable to such threat.  

Prime Minister Jugnauth recalled the various proactive precautionary measures put in place to prevent infiltration of Covid-19 in Mauritius. They are: reinforced security at the entry points namely at the airport and seaport; setting up of 3 quarantine centres namely at Souillac hospital, Anse-La-Raie and Pointe Jerome; and the setting up of various committees at the level of several ministries to monitor the progress of the endemic. He further said that the government is working closely with the World Health Organisation for a closer monitoring of the situation.

Recalling that the Covid-19 will have direct economic repercussions on the economy, the Prime Minister stressed that the sectors which will be most affected are tourism, trade, construction, and manufacturing. Economic growth could fall by 0.1 to 0.3% hence the need to adapt to the situation, he said.

In view of this difficult situation, he announced that spending in the various government departments will be reduced by 10%, including travel by ministers. In addition, he added that expenditure in the context of the celebrations for the Independence Day will be reduced from Rs 12 million to Rs 2 million. The Chief Guest, the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has postponed his trip to Mauritius due to the difficult economic situation prevailing, he concluded.