The number of coronavirus cases worldwide topped four million as some of the hardest-hit countries readied Sunday to lift lockdown restrictions, despite concerns about a second wave of infections. Governments around the world are trying to stop the spread of the disease while scrambling for ways to relieve pressure on their economies, which are facing [...]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved Seychelles' request for emergency financial assistance, granting the island nation $31.2 million. The line of credit will go in the Seychelles' reserve so as to sustain the island nation's financial resilience through the COVID-19 crisis. The executive board of IMF approved the request under the Rapid Financing Instrument [...]
The uncertainty of how the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to manifest itself worldwide makes it difficult to schedule international commercial flights, the Seychelles' national carrier, Air Seychelles said on Thursday. Air Seychelles' Head of Corporate Affairs, Sheryl Barra, told SNA that the national carrier had initially planned to start international operations in May, but this [...]
South African Fredie Blom celebrated his 116th birthday on Friday unfazed by the coronavirus crisis, over 100 years since the Spanish flu pandemic killed his sister. "I have lived this long because of God's grace," said Blom, possibly one of the oldest men in the world. Lighting a cigarette, he recalled the 1918 pandemic that [...]
Seychelles has dropped two notches from its 'BB' rating in 2019 to a 'B+' rating with a stable outlook this year, according to the latest grades from Fitch Ratings released this week. The Minister of Finance, Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, told a press conference on Friday that the government was expecting this slide in ratings as "it [...]
Wholesalers that sell food products and other items to large hotels in Seychelles are looking for alternative markets now that most tourism establishments are not operational because of travel restrictions. Apex, a wholesale company, is selling a variety of fruits and meat products at its warehouse at the Bois de Rose Avenue. The products were [...]
Europe marks 75 years since the end of World War II in a sombre mood Friday as the coronavirus pandemic forces the cancellation of elaborate ceremonies even as Berlin declares an exceptional holiday for the first time. Chancellor Angela Merkel will join President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in laying wreaths at Neue Wache -- Germany's main memorial [...]
Indians in the UAE have voiced scepticism about a "massive" operation announced by New Delhi to bring home some of the hundreds of thousands of nationals stranded by coronavirus restrictions. "It is just propaganda," said Ishan, an Indian expatriate in Dubai, one of seven emirates in the UAE and long a magnet for foreign workers. [...]
Heightened vigilance, social and physical distancing and hygiene will be the new normal and principles for all educational institutions, childminders, and daycare centres in Seychelles, a top official said on Thursday. Minister Jeanne Simeon, who is responsible for education and human resources development, shared her ministry's COVID-19 action plan as the country prepares to re-open [...]
Random tests for COVID-19 will be done on the population of Seychelles over the next several weeks to determine whether there have been infections through community transmission, said a top health official "This is called a prevalence test. People will be chosen at random to find out if they have any signs of antibodies, which will [...]
