Jugnauth: Tourism on its knees, vaccination an ‘obligation’

Armed with a watering can, sometimes with his rake, PM Pravind Jugnauth set the example yesterday to launch a national clean-up and awareness campaign on the public beach in Pointe-aux-Piments, l’Express reported.

This was a joint initiative of the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Tourism, tourism stakeholders, the Beach Authority, the delegation of the European Union, the National Youth Environment Council and local authorities.

Several partisans of his ruling MSM party were also reportedly present at the launch.

The cleaning beaches and tourist sites will span over several days. 

Jugnauth said the tourism sector has been “brought to its knees” by the COVID-19. The reopening of our borders, he stressed, is an important step for the economy and social life of the country. He insisted that the lockdown is the most effective tool in breaking the chain of contamination. 

“But the country cannot stay like this forever. That’s why you have to be realistic. (…) As Prime Minister, I take full responsibility of our decisions. Only time will tell if we have acted well, if we could have done better or if we have acted badly.”

He also argued that the vaccine has become “an obligation” and he urged those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so.