The World Health Organization (WHO) representative for Seychelles has commended the islands for the measures put in place to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.

Dr Teniin Gakuruh made the remarks at a press briefing after her meeting with President Danny Faure on Tuesday.

"Dr Gakuruh commended Seychelles for the measures in place so far and for being one of the first countries in Africa to be able to test for Covid-19, vital in the early detection process. Dr Gakuruh also congratulated Seychelles for taking immediate action to devise its own Covid-19 Response Plan detailing a coordinated and integrated approach to dealing with the outbreak," a statement from the Presidency said.

The WHO official also stressed the importance of not only bolstering the preparedness levels, but also having the right containment measures to deal with the virus should it reach Seychelles.

The pneumonia outbreak was first reported in the city of Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, in December 2019. Experts have attributed the outbreak to a novel coronavirus that has since spread across China and abroad.

As of Tuesday, 11 African countries had confirmed COVID-19 cases, the latest being the Democratic Republic of Congo.

DR Congo's sole case was reported earlier on Tuesday, a Belgian national who arrived in the country on Sunday. The patient has since been placed under quarantine.

Source:  Seychelles Presidency