Mauritius has closed all schools as the number of Covid cases continue to rise.

Education Minister Leela Devi Dookhun-Lutchoomun made the announcement in a statement on national television on Tuesday.

She said all classes would be held online from Thursday.

The country has recorded 1,856 cases of Covid in learning institutions since 18 October.

The Indian Ocean island has had a recent surge in the number of Covid deaths, with 42 occurring in the past week and 14 of them aged below 60 years.

About two-thirds of the Mauritian population have been fully vaccinated

The health minister on Tuesday told parliament that 61 fully vaccinated people had died in hospitals across the country since January.

Forty-four of them had received Sinopharm injections, she said.

The government is encouraging citizens to take a third vaccine dose.