The government of Mauritius announced on Thursday that it was expanding its Covid-19 vaccination programme to include long-term international visitors over the age of 18.
The island nation hopes to attract more tourists with the move, which is part of the nation's effort to fully reopen the country's borders.
Mauritius, which is located off the coast of Africa and surrounded by the Indian Ocean, is the first country in the world to offer travellers free vaccinations.
Citizens, residents and long-term travellers holding premium visas will be offered the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine.
Despite currently being in lockdown, authorities hope the free vaccine scheme will encourage travellers to come and visit the country's idyllic beaches, lush mountains and pristine islets.
How long do I need to stay in Mauritius to get the vaccine?
Only travellers who have Mauritius’s premium visa will be eligible for the vaccine.
This free renewable visa allows visitors to stay in Mauritius for up to 12 months. It can be applied for online once travellers have confirmed flights to the republic.
Travellers visiting Mauritius for holidays of less than 180 days will be issued a tourist visa rather than a premium visa. Essentially, this means to qualify for the free vaccine, travellers will need to spend 181 days, about six months, there.
Applications for the visa are open to anyone currently in Mauritius on a short-stay visa, and to anyone from a list of 114 countries keen to go and live or work in Mauritius.
Applicants need to be able to produce proof of long-stay plans, including accommodation bookings, and have sufficient travel and health insurance. Digital nomads are welcome, with remote working from the islands encouraged, so long as the work is outside the country's labour market and income sources.
All international passenger flights to Mauritius are currently suspended, so anyone keen on applying for the visa will have to wait for that to change before being able to travel.
Do I need to quarantine when travelling to Mauritius?
The current suspension of inbound flights into Mauritius is in place until at least Friday, March 26.
Prior to the suspension, all visitors had to undergo hotel quarantine for 14 days when arriving in Mauritius. This had to be pre-booked on a full-board basis, with a choice of two-star, three-star and four-star hotels. Those quarantine requirements will remain in place until Monday, May 31.
Visitors were also required to have a negative Covid-19 PCR test result on arrival, and to undergo further PCR tests on days seven and 14 after arrival.
Like other idyllic beach destinations, Mauritius relies heavily on tourism. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism accounted for 23.9 per cent of Mauritius' GDP.
Mauritius has recorded only 664 cases of Covid-19 since the start of the global pandemic. Case numbers have been rising since January, and the discovery of 15 cases in one day this week has forced authorities to impose a two-week nationwide lockdown.
The biog
Full name: Aisha Abdulqader Saeed
Age: 34
Emirate: Dubai
Favourite quote: "No one has ever become poor by giving"
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Huroob Ezterari
Director: Ahmed Moussa
Starring: Ahmed El Sakka, Amir Karara, Ghada Adel and Moustafa Mohammed
Three stars
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Born: High Wycombe, England
Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels
Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.
Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.
Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
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MATCH INFO
Championship play-offs, second legs:
Aston Villa 0
Middlesbrough 0
(Aston Villa advance 1-0 on aggregate)
Fulham 2
Sessegnon (47'), Odoi (66')
Derby County 0
(Fulham advance 2-1 on aggregate)
Final
Saturday, May 26, Wembley. Kick off 8pm (UAE)
RESULTS
Women:
55kg brown-black belt: Amal Amjahid (BEL) bt Amanda Monteiro (BRA) via choke
62kg brown-black belt: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Ffion Davies (GBR) via referee’s decision (0-0, 2-2 adv)
70kg brown-black belt: Ana Carolina Vieira (BRA) bt Jessica Swanson (USA), 9-0
90kg brown-black belt: Angelica Galvao (USA) bt Marta Szarecka (POL) 8-2
Men:
62kg black belt: Joao Miyao (BRA) bt Wan Ki-chae (KOR), 7-2
69kg black belt: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Gianni Grippo (USA), 2-2 (1-0 adv)
77kg black belt: Espen Mathiesen (NOR) bt Jake Mackenzie (CAN)
85kg black belt: Isaque Braz (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE), 2-0
94kg black belt: Felipe Pena (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL), 4-0
110kg black belt final: Erberth Santos (BRA) bt Lucio Rodrigues (GBR) via rear naked choke
Kandahar%20
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD
ASHES FIXTURES
1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8
RESULT
Fifth ODI, at Headingley
England 351/9
Pakistan 297
England win by 54 runs (win series 4-0)
EA Sports FC 24
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Ammar 808:
Maghreb United
Sofyann Ben Youssef
Glitterbeat
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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Company%20profile
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