Seychelles will from midnight on Wednesday shut down non-essential services and restrict the movements of people for 21 days to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

All shops including restaurants, take-away-food outlets will remain closed except grocery stores and pharmaceuticals the statement said.The announcement comes after a 26-year-old Seychellois man, who works as a ground handling staff at the international airport, tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, bringing the nation's total cases to 11.

The airport will remain closed until the end of April while new maritime surveillance will be applied in the island nation, President Danny Faure said in an address on Monday.

Only employees providing essential services will be allowed to get to their work places with public transport vehicles operating at minimal level possible.

People have been directed to remain indoors but only allowed to venture out while going to the food stores and pharmacies.

The first Seychellois patient who tested positive for Covid-19 on 14 March, and a Dutch woman who tested positive the following day, have both recovered from the disease, the president said.

Seychelles, a country of 96,000 people, is a popular tourist hot spot located off the east coast of Africa.

Source: Public Health Commissioner-Seychelles