The Government of Mauritius has set up a special fund to mobilise and manage the funds required for implementing the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, following the weekly meeting of the Cabinet in Port-Louis.
It said in a communiqué, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has prepared a COVID-19 Vaccination Preparation Plan in line with WHO Guidance that looks into various issues and implications, namely – (a) Regulatory Preparedness; (b) Planning and Coordination; (c) Costing and Funding; (d) Target Population; (e) Delivery Strategies; (f) Supply Chain and Healthcare Waste Management; (g) Human Resource Management and training; (h) Vaccines Acceptance and Uptake; (i) Safety Monitoring; (j) Immunisation and Monitoring Systems; (k) COVID-19 surveillance; and (l) Evaluation of COVID-19 Vaccine introduction.
It also said that the Government of Japan provided a grant of 300 million Yen in August 2020 for the purchase of highly sophisticated medical equipment as a COVID-19 emergency response measure and assistance through the UNDP for a survey on inclusive and multi-sectoral response to COVID-19.
The Government has also decided to extend the quarantine period in Mauritius from January 15, 2021 to February 15, 2021 and also to extend the prohibition of incoming aircrafts and ships into Mauritius until February 15, 2021, except for those approved by the Prime Minister.
Regarding the pandemic, Mauritius recorded the last local case on November 26, 2020 in a quarantine centre. Currently, there are 24 active cases of COVID-19 in the country. As at December 18, 2020, 524 cases of COVID-19 had been registered in Mauritius.