Mauritius has gone back into a 15-days national lockdown one year after the first wave, as covid-19 has made a resurgence at the end of February, this year. On the evening of the 9th of March 2021, the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, has addressed the nation, and he imposed a nationwide lockdown that was put in place in the early morning of Wednesday, the 10th of March 2021.
Ever since the prime minister’s announcement, all Mauritians have been confined at home. The most affected regions are Vacoas/Phoenix and Curepipe, and a curfew has been imposed in those areas. Mauritius currently has 135 active cases. Just as rumours are circulating about how the second wave started, the authorities have identified different clusters to facilitate contact tracing.
Moreover, this Monday, the vaccination campaign has started again for the front liners and workers such as scavengers, and other employees who have a WAP (Working Access Permit). It is estimated that around 500 essential workers will be getting vaccinated today in 14 centres around the island.
Last year, Mauritius got out of lockdown way before many big countries like the UK and France did. We did not have local cases for months, and business resumed as usual. A lot of enterprises bounced back, and they improved their services by implementing new ideas. During the last lockdown, many Mauritians used their creativity and followed their passion by starting small enterprises which they operate through social media. Hence, this lockdown could be an opportunity for many to mould their ideas into a business venture.
