1. Cabinet has taken note of the situation pertaining to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the measures taken to contain the pandemic, namely –

1. 1. as at 29 April 2020, out of 15,893 PCR tests carried out, 332 persons had been tested positive;
   2. as at 29 April 2020, 14,305 Rapid Antigen tests for COVID-19 had been carried out on frontliners, namely healthcare providers in the public sector, police officers, residents and staff of Residential Care Homes, Prison Officers and prisoners. The test was being extended to foreign workers in dormitories and employees of supermarkets;
   3. as at 29 April 2020, there were 13 patients in the Treatment Centres and the number of persons successfully treated was 306; and
   4. the repatriation process is being carried out in a phased manner. In this respect, a flight from Paris repatriated stranded Mauritians on 26 April 2020. Another flight from South Africa is expected to airlift stranded Mauritians on 30 April 2020.

*****

2. Cabinet has taken note of the list of goods in respect of which prices were controlled or marked-up prior to COVID-19 confinement curfew and the list of products whose prices are being controlled during COVID-19 sanitary curfew.

*****

3. Cabinet has taken note of the Preparedness Plan for Hospital Services which includes –

1. 1. hospital staffing requirements to be adequate to attend to patients;
   2. medical and non-medical supplies to be in adequate stock;
   3. control of entry points for healthcare personnel and public to ensure that all persons entering the hospital premises wear masks, use hand sanitizers and have their temperature checked;
   4. social distancing measures to be implemented within all premises especially in waiting areas and at counters;
   5. Outpatient Departments and Accident and Emergency Departments to operate at staggered hours to avoid overcrowding;
   6. prioritisation of all surgeries;
   7. setting up of separate flu clinics;
   8. disinfection of hospital premises; and
   9. visitors to be limited to one per patient in wards in order to avoid infection.

*****

4. Cabinet has taken note that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade had a conference call with HE Mr Phil Hogan, EU Commissioner for Trade recently. The objective was to exchange views on the COVID-19 pandemic and the support which EU could provide to Mauritius to address the arising challenges as well as on the state of play on the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA).

The Commissioner commended Mauritius for its COVID-related actions, reiterated the support to Mauritius by the EU which is open to further suggestions for additional support. The Commissioner also appreciated the leadership role of Mauritius in the negotiations on the deepening of the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement.

*******