People in Mauritius will from now on shop for essentials on allocated days depending on the first letter of their surname as a measure to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said the measure would avoid overcrowding, adding that shoppers will only have 30 minutes to finish their shopping.

This means that those whose surnames begin with A-F will shop on Monday and Thursday, G-N on Tuesday and Friday and O-Z on Wednesday and Saturday.

The shops will be closed on Sunday.

That means, I - Mohabuth - will only have to wait two more days to top up on basic food items.

On Tuesday, the island nation reported its fifth death following the outbreak of Covid-19 in the island nation.

The latest victim, a 71-year-old man, had been admitted to hospital on Sunday.

The authorities say 161 people with Covid-19 are being treated in hospitals across the country.

Some 1,709 people are in quarantine in government facilities and private hotels.

The prime minister also announced the extension of a nationwide lockdown, due to end on Thursday, to at least 15 April.