Health Alert: Seychelles, Only Police Permitted On Roads Effective April 17

Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Port Louis, Mauritius (April 16, 2020)

Location: Seychelles

Event:

The Seychelles Department of Health has confirmed 11 cases of COVID-19.

The government of Seychelles has implemented measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. Travelers should be prepared for restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. U.S. citizens who are considering returning to the United States are urged to work with their airlines to make travel arrangements while flights are still available.

Effective March 25, 2020, any passenger arriving from any country (except returning Seychellois citizens) will not be allowed to enter Seychelles.

Effective March 30, 2020, the government of Seychelles announced the daily closure of all shops at 18:30 and the prohibition of gatherings of more than four people in public places.

Effective April 9, 2020, a three-week period of confinement and shutdown has been announced. Medical service providers (clinics and hospitals) remain operational. Non-essential shops and businesses will remain closed. Grocery stores are permitted to operate from 06:00 to 18:30. Non-essential workers should remain at home. Members of the public will have restricted movement on the roads with access granted for essentials only such as grocery shopping, medical care, and banking. Police may enforce restrictions with checkpoints. Public transportation will be limited to the number of people employed in essential services. A list of essential offices and services has been published on the Seychelles Department of Health website.

Effective April 17, 2020, only police are permitted on the roads with the exception of certain essential workers. Grocery stores will be permitted to operate from 06:30 to 18:00.

Visit the Seychelles Department of Health website and Facebook for additional information.

If you are planning on departing Seychelles to return to the United States but have been unable to obtain space on a commercial flight, please contact ConAgencySeychelles@State.gov with your name, the names of your immediate family members who are also traveling, and all appropriate contact information. The U.S. Consular Agency is unable to provide travel assistance to countries other than the United States. While no commercial options may currently exist, should one become available U.S. citizens who wish to return to the United States are strongly urged to arrange travel immediately. As the Covid-19 situation develops, our ability to provide assistance working with commercial airlines or arrange for evacuation flights may become more limited or even unavailable. There is no guarantee that the Department of State will be able to continue to provide repatriation assistance and transportation options to the United States may be unavailable in the future. If you choose to remain overseas, you should be prepared to remain where you are for the foreseeable future.

The Department of State has issued a Global Level 4 Health Advisory for COVID-19.

Actions to Take:

Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.
Reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.
Visit the COVID-19 page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.
Check with your airlines, cruise lines, or travel operators regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions.
Visit the Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Mauritius, Seychelles, and Reunion.
Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website for the latest travel restrictions to the United States.