Seychelles international airport to reopen on June 1

Seychelles, the small island holiday destination in the Indian Ocean with a population of less than a hundred thousand inhabitants, is now Covid-19 and ready to welcome guests.

The country, which reported a number of 11 cases in total, has announced the last infected patient tested negative for a continuous number of days and is now considered to be healed from the Covid-19 virus.

The pandemic had reached Seychelles in March 2020. The number of cases on the island increased slowly during the next three weeks and reached its peak on April 6, 2020 when the 11th case was confirmed including the only two local transmitted cases following which there has been no other positive cases reported on the islands.

Behind the successful handling of the delicate situation, resulting from this pandemic is the local authority known as the Public Health Authority under the supervision of its Seychelles’ Public Health Commissioner, Dr Jude Gedeon.

The public health team reacted promptly and effectively to establish emergency protocols with the directions of the WHO, and curbed the spreading of the Covid-19 virus within its population. Provision for quarantine facilities and an immediate rapid response team was created from the time WHO had declared Covid-19 a pandemic in mid-January.

Following the detection of the last person subjected to the infection and acting in a precautionary manner to restrain the inflation of infection numbers in the Seychelles, a travel ban order imposed by the authorities came into effect at midnight on Wednesday April 8 in Seychelles, restricting movement for citizens except essential service workers. This measure was maintained for 21 days.

On April 28, Seychelles’ President Danny Faure announced a lifting of restrictions on the movement of people and travel restrictions will end on June 1. The Seychelles International airport will reopen on the same date.

As announced by the President, visitors and returning residents arriving in Seychelles will be subjected to strict measures imposed by the Public Health Authority, including a 14-day compulsory quarantine.

Composed of 115 islands, the Seychelles Archipelago is a land of lush vegetation and natural pristine beauty.