Covid-19 update |25 September 2020
Dr Louange (left) and Dr Gédéon during the press conference yesterday (Photo: Thomas Meriton)
No new case of Covid-19 registered
• France, UAE and the UK added to permitted list of countries
No new case of Covid-19 has been registered as at September 24, 2020.
This was noted by the Public Health Commissioner Dr Jude Gédéon in yesterday’s press conference at the Sheikh Khalifa Diagnostic Centre. He was accompanied by Health Care Agency chief executive, Dr Danny Louange.
Dr Gédéon also announced that in order to relaunch our economy, three countries have been added to the list of countries from where visitors are allowed to enter Seychelles. They are France, UAE and the United Kingdom.
“After much training we have the confidence that we will be able to manage the situation. But this also requires the collaboration of each one of us by observing all the health guidelines,” Dr Gédéon stressed.
To date there are three active cases, all asymptomatic ‒ all imported ‒ making a cumulative total of 143 cases.
Dr Gédéon noted with appreciation that the political leaders are being able to bring the message to their followers and they themselves are respecting the health guidelines.
“This encourages us and we urge the people to stay calm and protected. We urge the community to show their support to the health workers as some of us have not been able to take time off. Send your encouragement to the staff.”
Talking about the Covid-19 situation worldwide and in Seychelles, Dr Gédéon noted that “So far from what we have seen, the tendency of Covid-19 is changing in some parts of the world. It is in the downward trend in Africa and it is in the upward trend in many countries in Europe. We are doing a lot of tests and for the month of September we have surpassed 3000 tests. By the end of September we will surpass the number of tests done in August. We have also revised the permitted list of countries and now people travelling from 32 countries will be able to travel to Seychelles. As from October 1 we will add three more countries, namely UAE, France and the United Kingdom.
As from October 1, 2020 France, UAE and the UK will be countries with Special status. Travellers from these countries will have to have 48 hour PCR before travel; stay in approved establishments for first 5 days, repeat PCR and continue stay under surveillance and increased vigilance till departure.
All arrivals, residents and Seychellois, from permitted countries will be tested after 5 days. The new system Travizory: Health Travel Authorisation is now fully operational which allow a much improved health screening and passenger management. To know more about this system please click on this link https://seychelles.govtas.com/
Dr Louange confirmed that there is only one person in isolation at the Perseverance Family hospital and two are in isolation in their hotel on La Digue. “There are 80 patients in quarantine on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. Most of them are being discharged and we are on high surveillance. Whenever someone has high fever and other symptoms we conduct the appropriate tests to check his status. We are also transferring two suspected patients from Praslin who have similar symptoms as Covid-19. But that does not mean they have Covid-19.”
List of countries from which visitors are permitted to enter Seychelles – changes to current list are effective from Thursday October 1, 2020
Australia; Lithuania; Austria; Malaysia; Cambodia; Mauritius; Canada; Monaco; China; New Zealand; Cyprus; Norway; Denmark; Pakistan; Egypt; Portugal; Estonia; Qatar; Finland; Singapore; Germany; South Korea; Iceland; Sri Lanka; Ireland; Sweden; Italy; Switzerland; Latvia; Thailand; Liechtenstein and Vietnam.
Changes to the list
Australia, Liechtenstein, Republic of Korea have been added.
Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates have been removed.
In addition to the above list, with effect from October 1, 2020, visitors from France, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom are permitted to enter Seychelles subject to additional health security measures (details at www.health.gov.sc and www.tourism.gov.sc)
Vidya Gappy