The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, called on people in the Port Louis region, who had contact with employees from Wastewater Management Authority (WMA) over the last two weeks, to call the COVID-19 hotline 8924 so that they can be tested, and thus contribute in preventing the spread of the virus.

Speaking this afternoon, at a press briefing of the National Communication Committee on COVID-19, at the New Treasury Building in Port-Louis, Dr Jagutpal said that 40 calls were received through the hotline. He thanked those who called the hotline number, and urged other people to come forward.

According to the Minister, 17 COVID-19 positive cases registered last evening were the outcome of contact tracing exercises as a result of the 12 WMA employees who tested positive previously.

The positive cases come from the following regions: Bon-Accueil, Roches-Bois, Khoyratty, Pointe aux Sables, Vallée-Pitot, Vallée des Prêtres, Grand Bois, La Flora, Belle Mare, Quartier Militaire, Saint Julien d’Hotman, Forest Side, Quatre-Bornes, Poste-de-Flacq, Highlands, Port Louis, Bambous, and Mesnil.

The Minister also explained that the employees from WMA got contaminated following works undertaken by two of them in Vallée-Pitot. A COVID-19 testing exercise is scheduled there tomorrow afternoon. People from Tyack and Camp Diable are encouraged, too, to participate in COVID-19 testing which will be held tomorrow in their respective region.

According to Dr Jagutpal, some 504 people have been quarantined since Sunday last, while the outcome of the 736 PCR test results obtained this afternoon were negative. He underlined that testing and contact tracing are currently underway. The Minister reiterated his appeal to the population to collaborate with the health services in these endeavours to stop transmission of the SARS-CoV-2.

Source: Government Information Service

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