Anxiety is growing over the coronavirus threat for France's overseas territories, located in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans thousands of kilometres from the mainland, with distance proving no protection for regions with fragile health infrastructure. The "Outre-mer" or overseas departments, largely a legacy of the country's colonial past, are considered fully integral to the [...]
US President Donald Trump has warned Americans to brace for a "very horrendous" number of coronavirus deaths in the coming days as the total number of global fatalities from the pandemic soared past 60,000. Confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States on Saturday surpassed 300,000, but Europe continued to bear the brunt of the pandemic [...]
Waters surrounding two outer islands of Seychelles have been designated as marine protected areas to safeguard the ecological value and biodiversity within the territories. As part of the Seychelles' Marine Spatial Plan Initiative, a government-led initiative following the award-winning debt-for-nature swap, D'Arros island received a zone one designation, and a zone two designation was assigned [...]
President Donald Trump on Friday recommended that Americans cover their faces with masks when outdoors, a policy U-turn following growing scientific research suggesting their widespread use can stem the spread of the coronavirus. Trump told a White House briefing that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was urging people to wear face coverings [...]
The Seychelles National Parks Authority (SNPA) will manage an additional 15 nature trails on the three main islands. The authority will now manage over 25 trails with added resources endorsed by the cabinet of ministers and the creation of a new unit to oversee all trails. As a way of ensuring sustainability and proper management [...]
Despite loud appeals for caution, Africans are rushing to embrace chloroquine, the venerable anti-malaria drug touted as a possible treatment for coronavirus. From hospitals in Senegal to pharmaceutical companies in South Africa and street sellers in Cameroon, chloroquine has fired hopes of a medicinal fix against a virus that is set to scythe through Africa's [...]
Under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the ‘Avani Barbarons Seychelles Resort’ will be made available to the Government of Seychelles to be used by the Department of Health as an additional quarantine and isolation facility.The [...]
A new $800,000 grant will allow Seychelles to support and develop micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in its Blue Economy sector. According to the Department of the Blue Economy, the African Development Bank grant will be used for the technical assistance and capacity building project to diversify Seychelles' economy, especially in the biotechnology sector. [...]
Nearly 2,000 tourists opted to remain in Seychelles as airlines carry out their last flights to repatriate stranded foreigners amid the COVID-19 outbreak, said a government official. The mostly European visitors on holiday in Seychelles were left stranded after restriction were made on international travel and numerous flights by international airlines serving the Europe-Seychelles route [...]
Residents of the Indian Ocean island nation Mauritius rushed to supermarkets on Thursday after they had been shut for 10 days under a lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Mauritius, usually a paradise holiday destination known for pristine beaches and coral reefs, has the most cases in eastern Africa with 169 infected and [...]
