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STORY: WHO / MAURITIUS COVID-19 RESPONSE
TRT: 04:51
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT WHO ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 25 JUNE 2020, PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS
1. Various shots, empty beach
2. Wide shot, boats near empty beach
3. Med shot, people walking in streets wearing masks
4. Wide shot, traffic in street
5. Med shot, people crossing street
6. Close up, sign on pavement for physical distancing reading: “Please stand here. Together we can overcome.”
7. Wide shot, pan, exterior of Sir Emmanuel Anquetil building, the Ministry of Health office
8. Various shots, Mauritian Minister of Health, Dr Jagutpal Kailesh Kumar Singh, at his desk
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Jagutpal Kailesh Kumar Singh, Mauritian Minister of Health:
“We recorded the first three cases of COVID-19 on 18th of March this year. And at that time, the government took bold decisions. The first decision that the government has taken is to implement a sanitary curfew.”
10. Various shots, people walking near building
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Jagutpal Kailesh Kumar Singh, Mauritian Minister of Health: “All passengers traveling from outside, by closing the borders, we have get everyone, in quarantine centres, we have done the test for those passengers. And at the same time, we have also other measures like wearing of masks, social distancing, sanitising methods. So, all of those has helped Mauritius.”
12. Close up, sign for COVID-19 testing centre
13. Med shot, Mauritian Health Director, Dr Vasantrao Gujadhur, entering COVID-19 testing centre.
14. Med shot, Gujadhur speaking to healthcare worker
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Vasantrao Gujadhur, Mauritian Health Director:
“We had contact tracing since long, for dengue, for measles outbreaks, for all that we do have contact tracing, but this one was different. This one was a disease which was spreading very fast. And we knew from experience from different countries, there were a number of people having serious cases, number of people dying, et cetera. So, what we did is from the beginning on we increased the number of contact tracing teams, and we monitored the teams every day.”
16. Wide shot, traffic in front of entrance to Victoria Hospital
17. Close up, sign for Victoria Hospital at entrance
18. Med shot, healthcare worker testing patient for COVID-19
19. Close up, healthcare worker putting test swab into vial
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Vasantrao Gujadhur, Mauritian Health Director:
“You know, since the beginning of the outbreak in China in January, we started working here. Around the 15th or 16th of January, we had already made plans of what to do. We already started sensitising the population, through TV, radio, written press, pamphlets, posters… Sensitising the whole population about the symptoms and signs of COVID, the preventive measures they should take and what to do if they feel they’ve got the problem. This was going on almost every day to make sure that it goes in the mind of the people.”
21. Various shots, lab worker preparing COVID-19 samples for testing
22. Various shots, lab worker putting tray of sample into machine
23. Med shot, lab worker looking at sample results
24. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Laurent Musango, WHO Representative in Mauritius:
“We started by the elaboration of National Action Plan for preparedness and response of the outbreak. And this was done with the support of WHO. And these action plans took into account the nice pillars that are recommended by WHO.”
25. Various shots, people in streets
With support from the World Health Organization (WHO), authorities in the Republic of Mauritius proactively prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, including by strengthening traveler screening at points of entry, procuring essential response supplies, ramping up contact tracing and testing capacities, and communicating regularly with the population.
SOUNDBITE (English) Mauritian Health Director, Dr Vasantrao Gujadhur:
“You know, since the beginning of the outbreak in China in January, we started working here. Around the 15th or 16th of January, we had already made plans of what to do. We already started sensitising the population, through TV, radio, written press, pamphlets, posters… Sensitising the whole population about the symptoms and signs of COVID, the preventive measures they should take and what to do if they feel they’ve got the problem. This was going on almost every day to make sure that it goes in the mind of the people.”
Health authorities had experience with contact tracing as a result of responding to outbreaks of other diseases such as dengue and measles. In preparation for COVID-19, contact tracing capacities were strengthened.
SOUNDBITE (English) Mauritian Health Director, Dr Vasantrao Gujadhur:
“We had contact tracing since long, for dengue, for measles outbreaks, for all that we do have contact tracing, but this one was different. This one was a disease which was spreading very fast. And we knew from experience from different countries, there were a number of people having serious cases, number of people dying, et cetera. So, what we did is from the beginning on we increased the number of contact tracing teams, and we monitored the teams every day.”
WHO guidance in strengthening surveillance, strengthening traveler screening at points of entry, and setting up quarantine centres was considered by the Government of Mauritius while taking policy measures. WHO supported the Ministry of Health and Wellness in other areas such as community engagement, infection prevention and control, laboratory operations, logistics and continuity of essential health care services during the outbreak.
SOUNDBITE (English) WHO Representative in Mauritius, Dr Laurent Musango:
“We started by the elaboration of National Action Plan for preparedness and response of the outbreak. And this was done with the support of WHO.”
The first three cases of COVID-19 in Mauritius were detected on 18 March 2020.
SOUNDBITE (English) Mauritian Minister of Health, Dr Jagutpal Kailesh Kumar Singh:
“We recorded the first three cases of COVID-19 on 18th of March this year. And at that time, the government took bold decisions. The first decision that the government has taken is to implement a sanitary curfew.”
Mauritius is among a handful of countries in the world which have been able to stop the spread of the COVID-19 within two months after the first three confirmed cases were registered. As of 25 August 2020, the densely populated island nation has recorded only 346 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths. No locally transmitted COVID-19 cases have been registered since 26 April 2020.
