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COVID-19 suspected cases |04 March 2020

Tests on two Seychellois return negative

 

The two Seychellois residents who were admitted to the isolation centre at Anse Royale health centre have been tested negative for COVID-19, public health commissioner Dr Jude Gedeon confirmed yesterday morning.

They had both recently travelled to France for a period of around four weeks and had arrived back in Seychelles on Sunday.

According to Dr Gedeon, the two individuals reported to casualty with respiratory symptoms on Monday and, since the country is on high alert due to COVID-19, the doctor who saw them deemed it necessary to admit them in the isolation centre.

Given that further tests have proven them to be negative for COVID-19, they were assessed by the doctors and were to be discharged yesterday with appropriate treatment.

The COVID-19 epidemic continues to affect a number of countries and to date 64 countries have already reported cases of COVID-19.

Countries that have a lot of active cases and in which the virus keeps spreading include China, South Korea, Italy and Iran.

Dr Gedeon noted that COVID-19 is also spreading in European countries such as France, Spain and Germany.

“Due to its open borders the virus is difficult to track in Europe but fortunately these countries have systems in place to contain it. But if we see that the containment plans in these countries are not working, like the case for Italy, Seychelles will not permit people coming in from these countries to enter the country,” he explained.

At present, no persons – aside from returning residents – who have visited China, South Korea, Italy and Iran in the last 14 days are allowed into the country. All returning residents who have been to these countries are to be put under obligatory quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

He added that the department of health duly notes that the threat of COVID-19 is already affecting the country’s tourism industry which has seen a large number of cancellations, but nonetheless the department does not want to implement drastic measures such as closing off Seychelles from the outside world.

“Seychelles needs commodities and products, and still needs to be connected to the outside world,” he explained.

The department of health is advising Seychellois residents to avoid travelling unless necessary and if they are travelling they should take precautionary measures such as wash their hands frequently, avoid crowded places and observe good personal hygiene.

 

Elsie Pointe

 

 

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