Republic of Mauritius- Together, Mauritius will adapt to Covid-19 aftermath and win, says PM

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​