SysAdmin Journal · COVID-19 https://sysadmin-journal.com/tag/covid-19 Posts tagged with COVID-19 en Thu, 15 Jul 2021 21:22:28 +0000 60 More than 100 new COVID-19 cases in one day https://sysadmin-journal.com/more-than-100-new-covid-19-cases-in-one-day https://sysadmin-journal.com/more-than-100-new-covid-19-cases-in-one-day Thu, 15 Jul 2021 21:22:28 +0000 Ish Sookun COVID-19 Mauritius Mauritius sets new record of new COVID-19 cases. The country re-opened its borders on 15 July 2021. On the same day the number of new local cases of COVID-19 rose to an unprecedented peak and the country recorded one unfortunate COVID-19 related death. Mauritius has recorded perhaps the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in just one day so far. The number is at 123.

l'express COVID-19 counter
l'express COVID-19 counter
Le Mauricien COVID-19 counter

The COVID-19 counters on lexpress.mu and lemauricien.mu indicated this new record after their evening update on 15 July 2021.

]]> COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V available in Mauritius https://sysadmin-journal.com/covid-19-vaccine-sputnik-v-available-in-mauritius https://sysadmin-journal.com/covid-19-vaccine-sputnik-v-available-in-mauritius Wed, 14 Jul 2021 13:53:58 +0000 Ish Sookun COVID-19 Mauritius The Ministry of Health has started administering the first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine as part of its campaign against COVID-19 in Mauritius. Since Monday 12 July 2021, the COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V is available in Mauritius and its first dose is being administered by the Ministry of Health officials at the Central Warehouse in Castel, between 09h00 to 15h00.

Early information about the availability of the Sputnik V seemed to be poor, which led to many people flocking to Castel, in the hope of getting vaccinated. I checked the Government Information System and there has not been any communique about who is eligible for the Sputnik V vaccine.

Website of the Government Information Service
Website of the Government Information Service

The last communique published by GIS dates 10 July 2021.

Meanwhile, people have been queuing up at the Central Warehouse in Castel since as early as 7:00 a.m. Later on they were by the officers that only senior citizens, front-liners and employees of certain economic sectors registered though the Economic Development Board (EDB) would get access to the vaccination centre.

Update

  • 15 July 2021
    Following a « cafouillage » at the Central Warehouse, Castel, vaccination centre, the Ministry of Health enforced the rule that only a selection of personnel from specific industries in Mauritius will be able to get vaccinated at Castel. The personnel should already be registered with the Economic Board of Development.
    - Teaching and Non-teaching staff;
    - Personnel of the Tourism and Travel Sector;
    - Personnel of the ATOL / AML;
    - Personnel of the Air Mauritius;
    - Personnel of the Mauritius Port Authority;
    - Personnel of the Economic Sector.

    The press communique was issued on the 14th July 2021.
]]> Questions people are asking about COVID-19 related deaths https://sysadmin-journal.com/questions-people-are-asking-about-covid19-related-deaths https://sysadmin-journal.com/questions-people-are-asking-about-covid19-related-deaths Tue, 06 Apr 2021 08:28:39 +0000 Ish Sookun COVID-19 Mauritius In the past few weeks, the National Communication Committee on COVID-19 informed Mauritians about the death of COVIID-19 patients but the cause of death not attributed to COVID-19 itself. Dr. Gaud and the Minister of Health, Dr. Jagutpal, during the last few press conferences of the National Communication Committee (NCC) on COVID-19, announced the deaths of COVID-19 patients while maintaining that some of the deaths are not attributed to the COVID-19 disease itself. How come?

Last year, during similar press conferences, Dr. Gujadhur clearly explained to Mauritians and cautioned us all how existing comorbidities and COVID-19 can be fatal. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 last year is 10.

However, this year, since 5 March, the NCC has informed us of six deaths, out of which they have attributed two to be related to the COVID-19 disease and the other four are non-COVID-19 deaths. The reason given by the NCC is that the World Health Organization has issued guidelines on how to certify COVID-19 related deaths.

This is not enough to stop the many questions of Mauritians. It was unclear to me as well. Therefore, I searched for the WHO Guidelines. The document I found dates April 2020 but these guidelines are only being mentioned by the NCC now.

WHO Guideline for classification of COVID-19 as cause of death

The WHO guideline mentions that a death due to COVID-19 is defined for surveillance purposes as a death resulting from a clinically compatible illness, in a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case, unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to COVID disease (e.g. trauma).

It also states that a death due to COVID-19 may not be attributed to another disease (e.g cancer) and should be counted independently of preexisting conditions that are suspected of triggering a severe course of COVID-19.

The document shows a few medical certificate examples to makes things clearer to understand.

The above example shows that the patient had existing comorbidities like coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The cause of death is mentioned as acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia and suspected COVID-19.

The document explains when to use the terms Suspected COVID-19, Probable COVID-19 and COVID-19 as cause of death.

As per the WHO guideline, COVID-19 should be mentioned in part 1 on the medical certificate as cause of death and the other diseases should be mentioned in part 2. The document provides several such examples.

It also highlights what kind of death can't be attributed to COVID-19. One example is obvious, if a COVID-19 patient dies of an accident, that death can't be attributed to the COVID-19 disease itself.

In another example, the document cites myocardial infarction which is the medical term for heart attack. In this case, COVID-19 is mentioned in part 2 of the certificate and declared as a NOT COVID-19 death.

I leave it to the medical community to debate further on the topic, whether the authorities are following the guidelines right or wrong. I must admit though that I miss the layman explanation of Dr. V. Gujadhur.

Note that this blog post is NOT an expert opinion on medical practices. Please consult a physician to obtain a more proper, detailed and accurate opinion on the COVID-19 cause of death.

This blog post only intends to express the confusion I found when listening to the NCC press conference and cross-checking information from the World Health Organization.

Cover photo by De an Sun on Unsplash.

]]> Did you complain to the Consumer Protection Unit? https://sysadmin-journal.com/did-you-complain-to-the-consumer-protection-unit https://sysadmin-journal.com/did-you-complain-to-the-consumer-protection-unit Wed, 08 Apr 2020 08:47:21 +0000 Ish Sookun Mauritius COVID-19 Coronavirus If you notice that shopkeepers and supermarket owners are abusing on the prices, please inform the Consumer Protection Unit through their hotline 185 or email consumerpu@govmu.org I watched the press conference of the National Communication Committee on COVID-19 last evening. A journalist asked Dr. Joomye a question pertaining to supermarkets that have doubled prices on certain products.

Dr. Joomye answered that only 38 complaints were received and that many people are complaining on social media rather doing it through the right channel. Despite this 180 commercial outlets were visited by the inspectors of the Ministry of Commerce on 7 April and several of them were booked for various contraventions.

I also see a lot of people complaining on social media. Officers of the Consumer Protection Unit do not spend their time reading comments on Facebook. If we want to fix unreasonable high prices in supermarkets then we should all use the proper channels to complain.

A few days ago I saw a post shared by a friend on Facebook. See the receipt from a supermarket in Mahebourg.

Source: Facebook (https://bit.ly/3e3PjI2)

As per the client, he purchased a packet of cigarettes which is Rs 150 usually but the supermarket charged him Rs 175 during this coronavirus confinement period. It is only afterward that he realized that the supermarket charged him the additional Rs 25 as miscellaneous. If this avers true then the person should have complained about it to the Consumer Protection Unit rather than posting on Facebook to draw likes & comments.

I cannot verify the authenticity of the supermarket receipt and whether the person having posted it is sharing the complete story, but I am only using it as an example.

How to report?

If you notice that shopkeepers and supermarket owners are abusing on the prices, please inform the Consumer Protection Unit through their hotline 185, call on 206 8070 or email consumerpu@govmu.org.

Update

I was suprised to learn today that the hotline 185 is not a freephone number but actually costs the caller a higher than average caller fee. 😑

]]> Data protection poorly understood in Mauritius 🥺 https://sysadmin-journal.com/data-protection-poorly-understood-in-mauritius https://sysadmin-journal.com/data-protection-poorly-understood-in-mauritius Sat, 04 Apr 2020 05:13:09 +0000 Ish Sookun Mauritius COVID-19 Coronavirus Data Protection I've had arguments with people on Facebook. I even reported people to the Cybercrime Unit for breaching the Data Protection Act by sharing the personal information of COVID-19 patients. Mauritius counted 186 positive COVID-19 cases including 7 deaths as at 3 April.

With the rise of cases I notice a lot of people calling the authorities to release personal information of patients having tested positive for the novel coronavirus. People think the release of such personal information will make contact tracing a much quicker exercise.

I've had arguments with people on Facebook. I even reported people to the Cybercrime Unit for breaching the Data Protection Act by sharing the personal information of COVID-19 patients.

People argue that contact tracing will be faster if personal information of patients is released. Many are citing the example of how South Korea released information to accelerate contact tracing. Unfortunately, people do not read or enquire properly.

South Korea has an experience dealing from previous epidemics, such as the MERS outbreak in 2015. Their medical personnel and relevant authorities were able to quickly step up with containment plans.

South Korean authorities did not release personal information of patients. It is wrong to assume that.

Legislation enacted since then gave the government authority to collect mobile phone, credit card, and other data from those who test positive to reconstruct their recent whereabouts. That information, stripped of personal identifiers, is shared on social media apps that allow others to determine whether they may have crossed paths with an infected person.
Source: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Information shared by the South Korean authorities were anonymized.

]]> Chaos reigns as supermarkets re-open in Mauritius today https://sysadmin-journal.com/chaos-as-supermarkets-re-open-in-mauritius-today https://sysadmin-journal.com/chaos-as-supermarkets-re-open-in-mauritius-today Thu, 02 Apr 2020 06:28:39 +0000 Ish Sookun Mauritius COVID-19 Coronavirus Supermarkets and shops started operating as from 09h00 today. Alas! It's chaos... at most of the major hypermarkets of the island. A long queue of people can be seen at Super U, Grand Baie. A similar trend is observed at other supermarkets Despite the strict guidelines laid out by the authorities and all the sanitary precautions advised by medical officers through various channels, Social Distancing remains an alien term to many.

Supermarkets and shops started operating as from 09h00 today, as it was announced by the Prime Minister a few days ago.

Alas! It's chaos... at most of the major hypermarkets of the island. A long queue of people can be seen at Super U, Grand Baie. A similar trend is observed at other supermarkets, as posted by l'express.

Images source: l'express page on Facebook

Last night a 20 years old girl died at the New Souillac Hospital. She was admitted about a week ago after testing positive to COVID-19. She is the sixth and youngest fatal victim of COVID-19 in Mauritius. As per Dr. V. Gujadhur of the National Communication Committee, she might have gotten infected while frequently visiting a supermarket in her locality.

It appears that this story does not overwhelm people enough to prevent them from storming the supermarkets early on.

The supermarkets and shops will operate till 17h00 today. If you go there and find a long queue please don't be like the rest, just return home and check again later. Every family can make provisions twice per week as per the alphabetical order published by the National Communication Committee.

Also, you do not necessarily need to head to the hypermarkets as you will probably find the essential items in a nearby shop which might be less crowded.

Stay safe !

]]> Supermarkets re-open in Mauritius amid curfew https://sysadmin-journal.com/supermarkets-re-open-in-mauritius-amid-curfew https://sysadmin-journal.com/supermarkets-re-open-in-mauritius-amid-curfew Tue, 31 Mar 2020 14:20:00 +0000 Ish Sookun Mauritius COVID-19 Coronavirus Supermarkets and shops will be opened from 09h00 - 17h00, Monday to Saturday. Access to the supermarkets will be allowed on alphabetical order. For this purpose, everyone should bring their national identity card with them and expats should bring their passport or residential/work permit. In his press conference, last evening, the Prime Minister of Mauritius, P. K. Jugnauth, announced that the sanitary curfew is being extended till 15 April. The extension has been prompted by the increase in COVID-19 cases in the country. As at date we have registered 143 COVID-19 cases, three of which have been fatal. None of the patients have undergone full recovery so far.

An extended curfew means that people will be confined to their houses for a longer time. Therefore, many families require food provisions.

The Prime Minister announced that supermarkets and shops will re-open as from 2 April but under strict conditions. In today's press conference by the National Communication Committee, the conditions were announced in detail.

Supermarkets and shops will operate from 09h00 - 17h00, Monday to Saturday. Access to the supermarkets will be allowed on alphabetical order. For this purpose, everyone should bring their national identity card with them and expats should bring their passport or residential/work permit. Identity verification will be done before access is granted to the shops.

Alphabetical order as per family name will be as follows:

  • A to F, Monday and Thursday
  • G to N, Tuesday and Friday
  • O to Z, Wednesday and Saturday

All supermarkets and shops will be closed on Sundays. Actions will be taken against shop owners who do not abide to the rules.

There will be further controls before people can gain access to supermarkets, e.g temperature reading. If people are found to have a temperature above 37.5°C or they are coughing/sneezing, they will be required to step away from the queue. They will have to wait for a hospital ambulance to come and they will taken to the hospital for a further medical check-up.

People who gain access to the supermarket will be allowed to use only one caddy which will be disinfected by the supermarket personnel. Hand sanitizer will be provided.

Once inside the supermarket people will have to go through a traced line to collect items they need which will have specific limits (e.g three packets of rice, flour and oil). People will have to follow the line and move forward only, no turning back.

Following the above controlled access to supermarkets and shops, every family will be able to make food provisions twice per week.

These strict guidelines are laid to limit interaction between people. I sincerely hope that people going to the supermarkets adhere to the guidelines for their own protection and the protection of others.

]]> What is an essential food pack? https://sysadmin-journal.com/what-is-an-essential-food-pack https://sysadmin-journal.com/what-is-an-essential-food-pack Mon, 30 Mar 2020 08:45:31 +0000 Ish Sookun Mauritius COVID-19 Coronavirus Last week several online shopping services sprouted to answer the call of numerous people who needed food provisions. I say « services » rather than websites because some of them are operating through Facebook pages, Messenger, WhatsApp or even text messages. Last week several online shopping services sprouted to answer the call of numerous people who needed food provisions amid the COVID-19 confinement. I say « services » rather than websites because some of them are operating through Facebook pages, Messenger, WhatsApp or even text messages.

Two things are bugging in most of the services. They are:

  • high price
  • poorly thought food pack

The Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry recommends the following online shopping websites:

  • theshop.mu
    Not taking new orders at the moment as they do not have delivery slots available. Individual products cannot be ordered. They inform customers that new packs varied as per customers' requests will be available soon.
  • priceguru.mu
    An SOS Essential Basket at Rs 3,610 (incl. VAT).
Screenshot taken on 30 March 2020

The basket includes the following:

Advertised as « SOS COVID-19 3ème Age » Food Essentials Basket, the basket is clearly not for a vegetarian family. 😔 Besides why force 9 packs of Macaroni on the customer? Keep the list smaller to reduce the price and be able to deliver to more families.

Price Guru also tossed the term contactless delivery. 🤔

  • shopwise.mu

Shop Wise is closed right now.

  • ordermanzer.mu

OrderManzer offers a Basic Pack and a Vegetables Pack, both at Rs 1,500 each.

  • dreamprice.mu

Dream Price informs its customers (on the website) that they have reached the maximum order limit and that they shall communicate once they can take new orders. They offer several packs, namely:

  • Basic Pack (contains staple food, salt, sugar, tuna, mackerel, etc.)
  • Non Food Pack (contains soap, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, washing machine powder, etc.)
  • Baby Pack (contains baby diaper & wipes, but no baby food/milk.)
  • Adult Pack (contains adult diaper)

Today, Winner's supermarkets re-launched their online shopping service. I had great hopes that they will stop this trend of poorly thought essential packs and rather focus on letting people choose the products they need from a limited set and limited number to pick.

Alas, they offer Essential Packs too, just like the others. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Both « paniers » by Winner's contain Tuna & Sardine. 🐟

I asked myself the question, what is an Essential Food Pack? Shouldn't it be a universal food package (i.e caters for both vegetarians & non-vegetarians) that comes at a very affordable price and be able to last for a longer period of time?

If one goes for the Winner's Panier 1, then what happens when the Tuna/Sardine is over? The family has to purchase another pack and get more flour/rice/oil which they probably do not need. 😐

Does a low income family find themself being able to buy food packs for as long as this confinement lasts?

Okay, for a moment, let's say for the sake of simplicity and rapid service the supermarkets adopted this « food packing » trend (copying a messed up idea that someone started), then, couldn't the supermarkets come up with properly varied packs at just a few hundreds of rupees rather than being Rs 1,000 or Rs 2,000 plus?

What can be done?

Supermarkets (and online shopping websites) can offer simple packages without the possibility of choosing any particular brand. Examples:

  • Staple Food Pack (Rice/Flour/Oil/Sugar/Salt)
  • Canned Food Pack (Non-Veg)
  • Canned Food Pack (Veg)
  • Pasta Pack (Macaroni/Torti/Noodles/Pasta Sauce)
  • Baby Food Pack (Baby Food/Milk)
  • Hygiene Pack General (Soap/Toothpaste/Toothbrush/Hand Sanitizer/Toilet Paper)
  • Hygiene Pack Ladies (Feminine hygiene products)
  • Hygiene Pack Babies (Diapers/Wipes/Lotion)

The above are a just a few ideas and each of those packages should be such that they do not exceed Rs 500. Then, families will be able combine the different packages to obtain what they lack the most.

Update

During the day after I read that winners.mu was not accessible to its visitors I checked the website and it showed this « protected site » prompt.

]]> Over 100 positive COVID-19 cases in Mauritius & supermarkets are re-opening soon https://sysadmin-journal.com/over-100-positive-covid-19-cases-in-mauritius-supermarkets-to-reopen-soon https://sysadmin-journal.com/over-100-positive-covid-19-cases-in-mauritius-supermarkets-to-reopen-soon Sun, 29 Mar 2020 09:33:26 +0000 Ish Sookun Mauritius COVID-19 Coronavirus Local cases of COVID-19 are being identified daily. Despite this alarm, the curfew, and the confinement, people do not seem to follow strict hygiene guidelines. Press reports show how people are queueing up at gas stations, close to each other, some not properly covered, etc. We have reached 102 positive COVID-19 cases in Mauritius, including two deaths. This was announced last evening by the National Communication Committee.

Two hospitals have been dedicated to treat COVID-19 patients only; the New Souillac Hospital and the New ENT Hospital.

Local cases of COVID-19 are being identified daily. Despite this alarm, the curfew, and the confinement, people do not seem to follow strict hygiene guidelines. Press reports show how people are queueing up at gas stations, close to each other; some not properly covered.

Meanwhile, the much awaited online shopping for groceries, which received the government's approval, was an utter disappointed, both in terms of service and price. The essential food packs offered by several of the providers were poorly thought; vegetarians/vegans or people with food allergies were totally excluded.

People expressed « trust issues » with the choice of online shopping websites recommended by the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry.


It is a big opportunity missed by the major grocery shops as they failed to come up with proper plans & logistics.

Following the « cafouillage » by the providers of online shopping services, the government is now considering to re-open the supermarkets under conditions which are to be announced.

Announcing guidelines a day before the supermarkets open will not be helpful. You must have noticed that in the past few days several measures were announced by the government but those clearly lacked the planning to be enforced properly. I have a feeling that the opening of the supermarkets could end up causing more harm.

I urge people who need to make food provisions, once the supermarkets are open, to please do so by following strict hygiene guidelines and also consider the safety of others. 😷 🧴

Image source: World Health Organization

If you are sick, please do not go to the supermarket. Ask a friend or relative to make the provisions for you. If you cannot seek help from friends or relatives, then call the nearest police station and explain them your situation. 🚓 👮🏻

For medical emergencies related to COVID-19, please call the hotline 8924.

]]> Court appearing through WhatsApp https://sysadmin-journal.com/court-appearing-through-whatsapp-mauritius https://sysadmin-journal.com/court-appearing-through-whatsapp-mauritius Thu, 26 Mar 2020 13:45:42 +0000 Ish Sookun Mauritius COVID-19 Coronavirus A day later, that is today, the person's conditional freedom plea was heard by a Magistrate of the District court of Black River (Bambous), through WhatsApp and the decision to allow bail was given through same. The Prime Minister of Mauritius, P. K. Jugnauth, announced a complete lockdown of all supermarkets, shops and bakeries, two days ago. This comes on top of the nationwide confinement that started exactly a week ago.

People are thus confined in their homes. Essential services, like healthcare & sanitary services, police and the fire services are operational. The Courts of Mauritius are operational to a strict minimum too.

The Supreme Court of Mauritius, by order of the Chief Justice, Hon. Eddy Balancy, issued a communique stating that all Courts will remain closed until the end of the confinement. However, district magistrates will remain available through technological means in District Courts to listen to urgent matters such as requests for conditional freedom for first time offenders, cancellation of arrest warrants, protection orders concerning children and victims of domestic violence.

Yesterday, the Anti-Robbery Squad arrested a person after the latter posted on Facebook that people are « rioting » in a particular region in Mauritius.

The Mauritius Police Force are tougher against anything that amounts to fake news or the spread of fake news during an already tensed situation like the current COVID-19 crisis.

A day later, that is today, the person's conditional freedom plea was heard by a magistrate of the District Court of Black River (Bambous), through WhatsApp and the decision to allow bail was given through same. While court cases heard through video conferencing is not a new thing in Mauritius, it is definitely a first that a common online messaging tool such as WhatsApp has been used to hear a court plea.

Bravo for ensuring that justice is served (even amid a crisis)! ⚖️

]]> Where to obtain COVID-19 updates? https://sysadmin-journal.com/where-to-obtain-covid-19-updates https://sysadmin-journal.com/where-to-obtain-covid-19-updates Tue, 24 Mar 2020 17:25:00 +0000 Ish Sookun Mauritius COVID-19 Coronavirus A National Communication Committee on COVID-19 was set up to provide daily updates on MBC channels at 11h30. The committee provides information on the number of positive COVID-19 cases being identified, status of people in quarantine, additional measures being taken by the different ministries, etc. Six days ago the Prime Minister of Mauritius, P. K. Jugnauth, announced to the population that we have recorded the first cases of COVID-19 in Mauritius. Since then much has happened.

The number of COVID-19 cases jumped from 3 less than a week ago to become 42 today.

A National Communication Committee on COVID-19 was set up to provide daily updates on MBC channels at 11h30. The committee provides information on the number of positive COVID-19 cases being identified, status of people in quarantine, additional measures being taken by the government, etc.

I suggest that the one source of information to trust right now should be the National Communication Committee.

Media outlets are picking bits of information from the daily press conference and reporting those individually. That's fine but refrain from re-sharing or posting un-trusted or un-verified information on social media networks. People claiming on social media that hospital staff or relatives working there are giving alarming facts are NOT FACTS! They just contribute to the pile of fake news and rumours.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness updates covid19.mu which is a page that provides the number of active COVID-19 cases in Mauritius and health advice to stay safe.

My developer friends published COVID-19 Mauritius, a webpage that provides COVID-19 statistics for Mauritius. Their source is the local newspapers and radio stations. The source code of the webpage is available on GitHub and contributors are most welcome.

L'express has a dossier of articles on COVID-19.

Update

The Ministry of Health and Wellness together with Mauritius Telecom launched another website, besafemoris.mu, to provide updates on COVID-19 in Mauritius.

The website provides news updates and communiques issued by the ministry. It has a map of health services currently operational.

beSafeMoris is also available as a mobile app for Android and iOS. At the time of writing this post it wasn't available on the Google Play Store though. Instead, the apk file was downloadable from the beSafeMoris website. The app is available on Apple's App Store.

]]> How will people cope with the COVID-19 confinement financially? https://sysadmin-journal.com/how-will-people-cope-with-the-confinement-financially https://sysadmin-journal.com/how-will-people-cope-with-the-confinement-financially Sat, 21 Mar 2020 16:58:54 +0000 Ish Sookun Mauritius COVID-19 Coronavirus As per the Cabinet Decisions of 20 March 2020, a COVID-19 Wage Support Scheme will provide financial support to employees who would become technically unemployed on a temporary basis due to the impact of COVID-19. People of Mauritius are under a nationwide confinement since 19 March 2020. This confinement is to last for about two weeks, during which people are to remain at home and special permits are given to certain essential services workers to be able to travel only between their home and workplace.

As per the Cabinet Decisions of 20 March 2020, a COVID-19 Wage Support Scheme will provide financial support to  employees who would become technically unemployed on a temporary basis due to the impact of COVID-19. The scheme will cover formal sectors (mainly Travel and Tourism Sector, Export Oriented Enterprises, ICT/BPO Sector and SMEs). This support will be extended to other formal sectors of the economy.

I could not find a proper reference on the Government portal that highlights what are formal sectors but I assume they mean companies duly registered and operating within a defined industry (like the examples given above, Tourism, ICT/BPO etc).

Therefore, I also assume that my neighbourhood dhollpuri seller, carpenters, construction workers, plumbers and labourers will not benefit from the COVID-19 Wage Support Scheme.

My self-employed friends will be left on their own to pay their rents, utility bills and mortgages.

Confinement means no work, which means no income for them. How will they cope financially during this confinement period? What happens if the confinement is extended after the two weeks?

I am a proponent of this confinement which I feel is a necessary step to stop the propagation of COVID-19 on the island. I know the economy will be severely hit but I am also putting my trust in the capable authorities to sustain its people and help them cope financially.

I sincerely hope that the authorities extend the support to more people currently affected by the COVID-19 confinement.

]]> Nationwide confinement announced in Mauritius https://sysadmin-journal.com/nationwide-confinement-announced-in-mauritius https://sysadmin-journal.com/nationwide-confinement-announced-in-mauritius Thu, 19 Mar 2020 18:04:42 +0000 Ish Sookun Mauritius COVID-19 Coronavirus P. K. Jugnauth announced that four new cases of COVID-19 have been registered today. This makes the total cases of COVID-19 rise to seven in Mauritius. This number is high enough to raise the alarms now. The Prime MInister of Mauritius had a press conference scheduled at 14h30 today. 1.5 hours later it was canceled and journalists were told that the PM will address the nation directly later.

At around 21h30 Prime Minister P. K. Jugnauth addressed the population through the national TV, Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation. It appeared to be a recorded message.

P. K. Jugnauth announced that four new cases of COVID-19 have been registered today. This makes the total cases of COVID-19 rise to seven in Mauritius. This number is high enough to raise the alarms now.

He announced nationwide confinement starting 06h00 tomorrow to last for two weeks. He assured the population that there won't be shortage of staple food and medicine. He also assured people working in the private sector that their salary won't be affected.

]]> First COVID-19 cases in Mauritius https://sysadmin-journal.com/first-covid-19-cases-in-mauritius https://sysadmin-journal.com/first-covid-19-cases-in-mauritius Wed, 18 Mar 2020 19:41:00 +0000 Ish Sookun Mauritius COVID-19 Coronavirus The Prime Minister of Mauritius, P. K. Jugnauth held a press conference tonight to announce that three persons, all of them Mauritians, have been tested positive to the new coronavirus, COVID-19. The Prime Minister of Mauritius, P. K. Jugnauth held a press conference tonight to announce that three persons, all of them Mauritians, have been tested positive to the new coronavirus, COVID-19.

One person having recently visited the United Kingdom and two others who worked on a cruise ship. The person coming from UK was not in quarantine and was only tested positive after being ill and visited the Candos hospital. The other two persons were quarantined upon their arrival to Mauritius and later they were tested positive for COVID-19.

Public reaction on the social networks was undoubtedly bitter towards the government. The past few weeks it was a general feeling among Mauritians that the government should take strict measures, restrict access to the island, and that all inbound passengers be on mandatory quarantine. Such calls went to deaf ears. Even opposition's pressure was ineffective.

Today, we are no more a safe haven because of incompetent decisions of the government. 😔

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