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Mauritius could boast of being "Covid Safe" for a few months only. Since last weekend, the detection of new cases led to panic among the population. Initially, three employees of SKC Surat, a local company specialising in importing fruit and vegetables, tested positive. They are three men aged 44 and 24, respectively. More than 300 employees of this company were subsequently quarantined. But that's not all! Two children, twins aged 3, were also tested positive. They were quarantined on Monday along with their parents and the other children attending the same preschool and their parents, as well as the school's teaching and non-teaching staff.

On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth officially announced a national lockdown until March 25 to contain the pandemic. He also announced strict measures, such as those taken during the first lockdown from March 19 to May 22, 2020.

What you should watch out for

From Wednesday, March 10 until Thursday, March 25, only essential services, including health services (hospitals and pharmacies, etc.), police, firefighters, security services, gas stations, and port and airport services, are allowed to operate. Public transport will not operate until further notice.

Supermarkets, shops, bakeries, mini markets, banks, and butchers will be operational from Thursday, March 11 to Thursday, March 25, in alphabetical order of last name, as was the case during the first lockdown. It will be in the following order:
A to F: Monday and Thursday
G to N: Tuesday and Friday
O to Z: Wednesday and Saturday

All other activities are prohibited. Shopping malls, restaurants and food courts, cinemas, gyms, nightclubs and hair salons will remain closed. It is also forbidden to go to the beach. Socio-cultural activities, public or religious gatherings, as well as sporting and cultural activities, are prohibited.

The number of people attending funerals and weddings during this period will also be limited.

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign has been halted until further notice. People who have already received their first dose are required to follow the Ministry of Health's instructions, which is currently developing a new vaccination schedule.

What happens in case of non-compliance with the law?

People who do not respect national confinement and the instructions issued by local authorities risk severe penalties, including a fine not exceeding Rs 500,000 and up to 5 years of prison!

Who is authorised to move around during the lockdown?

There are exceptions for individuals and certain professionals as follows, other than essential service employees:

• people who need essential medical treatment or who need to obtain medicines for themselves or their family members
• lawyers or attorneys whose services have been retained by a person who has been taken into custody and is due to appear in court
• judges and magistrates, as well as certain designated employees whose presence in court is crucial
• medical practitioners who need to attend hospital or any private medical institution or need to provide care to patients in urgent need
• Pharmacists and employees who need to attend their place of work.

Quarantine in Mauritius

Since Mauritius is locked down again, the government has decided to extend the quarantine period for all new arrivals until May 31, 2021. Besides, all international flights to Mauritius are banned until further notice. Only flights from Mauritius will take off at the SSR International Airport.