Mauritius to fully reopen international borders by October 1

The Indian Ocean nation will remove its 'resort bubbles' and allow vaccinated travellers to move freely

Mauritius started reopening its borders to vaccinated travellers on July 15. Getty

Mauritius is all set to fully reopen its borders to vaccinated travellers on October 1.

The Indian Ocean nation has implemented a two-phased reopening strategy. In the initial phase, from July 15 to September 30, it is welcoming vaccinated travellers to enjoy holidays within 14 dedicated “resort bubbles”.

Only those staying for more than two weeks are able to visit other parts of the island, after taking a PCR test on day 14 of their holiday.

As part of the second phase, starting in October, vaccinated travellers will be free to explore the island from the get-go, as long as they present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of travel, upon arrival.

The successful reopening is being attributed to the acceleration of the island’s vaccination programme. Almost 1.3 million vaccine doses have been administered to citizens and residents.

In percentages, this translates as 45.5 per cent being fully vaccinated, according to the latest figures from John Hopkins University. In January, the Mauritian government decided to give priority to vaccinating hotel staff and others working in the tourism industry.

“Mauritius is delighted to see the world opening up again for travel,” said Arvind Bundhun, director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority. “We have been welcoming international visitors to our island since the middle of July and the ‘resort bubbles’ have proven a great success.

“We are looking forward to the next stage of our reopening on October 1, when vaccinated visitors will be able to explore the island without restriction from the moment of their arrival. The safety and security of Mauritian residents, citizens and guests remains paramount.”

Emirates flies to Mauritius twice a week, with return economy flights starting from Dh4,515. Mauritius is currently on Abu Dhabi’s green list, meaning travellers will not have to quarantine upon their return to the capital.