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Mauritius has halted commercial entry flights from midnight on Saturday until further notice after six local cases of Covid-19 were detected in two days, Health Minister Kailesh Jagutpal said.
The goal of the move is to free up space for people to be quarantined following a contact tracking process, Jagutpal told reporters in the capital, Port Louis. The suspension of flights would provide the ministry with breathing space as it launches vaccinations to the population, he said.
The island nation of the Indian Ocean begins a general vaccination program on Monday, after inoculating top workers and the elderly. People landing in Mauritius must be quarantined for 14 days, during which time they are tested for the virus.
“The decision will be reviewed based on test results and follow-up,” Jagutpal said.
Mauritius begins vaccination of Covid-19 for front-line workers
Before the latest cases were detected, all infections in Mauritius had been among people arriving from abroad.
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