Another lockdown in effect.
The Prime Minister of Mauritius declared a second lockdown effective Wednesday 10th March 2021. The situation became critical with now 31 positive Covid-19 cases in the population. All passenger flights have been cancelled, no arrivals to permit exclusive use of quarantine centres for testing of local suspected cases.
The island is now in total confinement with the exception of shopping for essential goods in supermarkets, pharmacies, etc., only by alphabetical family name and on designated days. The police are doing checks on the roads and at supermarkets to ensure that the confinement order is being respected. The national vaccination program has been suspended and a new calendar will be organised at a later date.
How did we arrive at this critical situation ? My observation and understanding is that it is in part due to lack of discipline within the population. Many were not wearing masks in public places or just wearing them under the chin. There was a false sense of security in the population because of the slogan “Covid Free” which went around and also pronounced by politicians on television. At that time, positive cases were coming from flight passengers already in quarantine centres and the notion that there was no local infections. The national vaccination program did not emphasise enough that even if you have been vaccinated you can still be a Covid-19 carrier and infect others. Many believed that the vaccine AstraZeneca/Covidshield gives total immunity.
One of the problems, in the above context, was public gatherings without precautions. We have an example of a family celebration which gathered over 200 people. The result is that four members of this family have now been tested positive and are in treatment hospital. Contact tracing is ongoing. The authorities have done their best in planning safety measures, however, the care free attitude or indiscipline has contributed to the critical situation we are now facing. Things never change until you have victims.
Hi Mike,
Visiting GP’s blog I saw your gravatar and decided to see how you are doing.
Sadly we are living in a strange world.
Hi Pierre, indeed we are in difficult times and adjusting to this is not that obvious. Thanks for dropping by, I also enjoy reading your aviation article in your blog.
Better the short sharp lockdowns to nip these outbreaks than delaying a week or two. We’ve had to do similar on occasions, although Victoria took the brunt – over four months in lockdown. At this stage we are not even planning interstate holidays as borders can close with little warning.
Oh Dear Mike,
This just shows how prevalent and dangerous COVID-19 is and I am so deeply shocked that people have not been adhering to the guide-lines, legislation and common-sense that is clearly necessary.
This world is full of those who for whatever and usually greedy and selfish-reasons, will not (and probably will never) learn from history that which – their ideas cause.
The wars have not taught us much or anything of how to live in peace, whilst COVID-19 is also a war too…!!!
Mr.Terry
Mike, I am so sorry to now learn that MU has to suffer another full lock-down.
Exactly as you have said, this has got to be due to those who wish to travel the world with impunity. They have no care about others and themselves and I have no doubt that those who simply cannot or will not understand that their devastating actions are the sole cause of this WORLD-WIDE virus – crossing the borders.
Over a year ago (and as Milke knows by our telephone-conversations) I have clearly stated that all countries around the world should have shut their borders immediately, whether via land, sea or air, until the disease has been eradicated. Only essential produce should have been strictly controlled for overseas/importations – under that regime.
If that had been carried-out from the outset, then millions of lives will have been saved, an unspecified number of lives who needed any other healthcare facilities, would have been treated as required, trillions of financial costs would have been saved, an unspecified number of businesses would have been saved and consequently millions of jobs would have been saved, millions of “love-ones” families would not have gone through the heart-aches and permanent problems they will have to suffer since their losses, we all then would have been able to get back to normality – somewhat !!!
Then possibly after only a couple of months or so (say to around Easter-2020), the world would have been a far-safer place and begin to have been able to get back to normality.
Here in the U.K., our second lockdown is being opened-up, but by far-too early as their are significant number of cases of COVID in the population and as Mike has said here, the public at least have never taken seriously the need to a complete isolation from others who may or may not be a virus carrier.
Even air-travel carrying passengers is continuing at alarming-rates to and from the U.K. at least (which I know for certain from aviation-radar of either commercial airlines, private/executive jets and even other private ‘General Aviation’ flights. Why ???
The idea of a vaccination being able to prevent the spread, has never been proved with enough time since introduced within the last very few months and as said here, vaccinated people can and will – still catch and pass-on the disease with that “impunity”.
So I have no doubt what-so-ever that the U.K. will in fact go into a 3rd lock-down sooner than later, even though I hope that I am wrong…
As also has occurred in MU, a vast amount of illegal-gatherings/parties etc., have occurred here in the U.K. too and elsewhere, not to mention seeing on TV-news items of footballers, the Pope etc. etc., hugging each others or just shaking-hands – which is fuelling the apparent knowledge that all is safe in the same way that advertisements fuel or fool – the public into believing whatever is the way forward for their products. It is not the safe-way forward under the current circumstances and without question all those responsible for such behaviours – must be dealt with appropriately with such severe penalties – to advertise to others as a deterrent.
There has been and is especially now, no reason what-so-ever that anybody of any colour, race or creed, or any business or political-purpose to have the need to “tour the world” with that same “impunity” for whatever purpose. Modern communication methods are clearly available for seeing and conversing safely across borders…
It obviously applies to those who feel the need to have to travel through the danger-zones of any war, which is precisely what COVID has become – a WAR ON A VIRUS…
That also and especially applies to all those who wish to holiday away from their home-counties and countries – whilst this virus is world-wide… Besides, in many/most cases the lock-down’s are also holidays for some, so why the need to take further holidays is almost unbelievable – not forgetting that saving the holidaying-costs is also paramount too…
The failure to learn by previous Pandemics over the last few-centuries has done nothing to curtail the actions of those who have been spreading this COVID around the world…
Thus endeth my lesson.
Mr.Terry PLEASE CONTINUE TO BE VERY SAFE AND VERY WELL – PLEASE…
Terry, I despair, we now have 52 local cases and contact tracing is ongoing.
Hi Mike
I have always thought we are heading for a 3rd round. When will the world ever learn.
Best wishes, stay safe.
Rog
You are right Mike, people became too complacent and behaved as if things were back to normal! The authorities managed the first wave efficiently and i am sure that they will take the necessary action to protect the population! All the vulnerable people must be vaccinated so that they do not develop the serious form of the illness!
You can’t blame your government for taking such stringent measures, I don’t know the population of your island but I would imagine that if it started to get numbers like our nation, or even state, it would be devastating.