'Mauritius on track for herd immunity, tourism restart'

ANKARA (AA) – Herd immunity is “a precondition for the restart of tourism” in Mauritius and authorities are confident of hitting the target within the stipulated timeframe, a government body said on Tuesday.

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 Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA).

“A threshold of 700,000 persons vaccinated has been set for the country to achieve herd immunity,” the agency said.

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.