Mauritius reopens to foreign visitors after Covid-19 shutdown

• Mauritius opened its borders to worldwide guests on Friday.
• The tourism minister stated that 68% of its inhabitants have been totally vaccinated.
• Earlier than the pandemic hit in March 2020, the tourism and hospitality business raked in about 24 p.c of gross home product (GDP) and employed almost 1 / 4 of the workforce.

Mauritius totally opened its doorways to worldwide guests on Friday, hoping to rebuild its important tourism business after lengthy months of isolation due to the Covid pandemic.

The transfer was greeted with a combination of optimism, reduction and a few warning within the Indian Ocean paradise.

“This reopening is inevitable as a result of 100,000 households rely upon tourism to dwell,” Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Steven Obeegadoo stated at a press convention on Thursday.

He stated 68 p.c of the 1.3 million inhabitants had been totally vaccinated and 89 p.c had acquired no less than one dose, among the many highest charges on the earth.

The idyllic vacation vacation spot, famend for its spectacular white sandy seashores and turquoise waters, had partly reopened to vaccinated guests in July for the primary time for the reason that coronavirus pandemic emerged in early 2020.

However they needed to stay in “resort bubbles” for 14 days earlier than being allowed to enterprise additional afield.

The primary planeloads of vacationers have been arriving from Dubai, Paris and London on Friday and must meet sure Covid-19 testing necessities throughout their keep.

Obeegadoo stated the nation had “ready nicely” for the return of worldwide guests.

“On the similar time, elevated vigilance will probably be required to cut back the danger of additional contamination,” he stated.

‘Nothing with out vacationers’ 

Mauritius was added to the UK’s “clear for journey” listing final month, though the US Facilities for Illness Management added Mauritius to its listing of high-risk Covid-19 locations, saying travellers ought to “keep away from” the nation.

In accordance with figures on the Africa CDC web site, Mauritius had recorded 13,685 instances of the coronavirus as of September 26, however the weekly common has dropped sharply from an August peak.

In mid-July, when the nation partially reopened, the variety of infections was at 2,190.

A briefing observe to AFP put the variety of Covid-19-related deaths at 71 as of September 26.

Sheila Figaro, who specialises in handicrafts together with making conventional Mauritian dolls, gave a sigh of reduction on the border opening.

The 49-year-old stated:

On Wednesday, the federal government introduced it had injected $280 million to shore up the nationwide flag service Air Mauritius, which had been put into voluntary administration in April final yr due to the pandemic.

Earlier than the pandemic hit in March 2020, the tourism and hospitality business raked in about 24 p.c of gross home product (GDP) and employed almost 1 / 4 of the workforce.

Boat skipper Jean-Alain Fanchette, 51, stated he was joyful to have the ability to resume working vacationer journeys.

“We’ll then be capable of feed our households,” he stated.

“However numerous issues are on our minds: Will we actually have clients? Then how can we observe the protocol on board, like bodily distancing? Will probably be actually troublesome.”

Franois Eynaud, government director of Solar Resorts, which owns or manages a number of prime lodges in Mauritius, stated he was conscious that the restart can be slower than anticipated.

“We have now to achieve this reopening after 18 months of closure. We won’t miss it. Mauritius was very cautious in its method to the pandemic, however I believe it was the correct method.”