Africa: Mauritius sets June ending for phased easing of travel restrictions; on track for herd immunity, tourism restart

The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) has stated that herd immunity is “a precondition for the restart of tourism” on the island nation and authorities are confident of hitting the target within the stipulated timeframe.

The phased easing of travel restrictions is expected “from the end of June 2021” as authorities believe the vaccination campaign “is on track” and the country will achieve herd immunity, read a statement by the MTPA on Tuesday, March 23, 2021.

“A threshold of 700,000 persons vaccinated has been set for the country to achieve herd immunity,” the agency said, according to a report on aa.com.tr.

It said 117,323 people – 17% of the targeted population – have received their first vaccine dose since Mauritius started its immunization drive on Jan. 26.

“Mauritius has secured an adequate supply of vaccines for the authorities to maintain the pace of vaccination,” the statement quoted Dr. Zouberr Joomaye, a government spokesperson, as saying.

Mauritius has reported 850 COVID-19 cases to date, including 10 deaths and 592 recoveries, according to figures from the US’ John Hopkins University.