Seychelles Awaits Virus Analysis Results, WHO Team Findings

(Bloomberg) -- Seychelles, which has seen Covid-19 cases surge despite vaccinating a greater proportion of its people than any other nation, expects to know the results of analysis of virus samples sent to a Kenyan institute in about two weeks.

A team from the World Health Organization has also been working with the island nation of 98,000’s health ministry for the last few weeks, said Jude Gedeon, the country’s public health commissioner, at a press conference on Friday.

The palm-fringed, Indian Ocean archipelago had raced to vaccinate its population so it could reopen to the tourists who are the lifeblood of its economy. Still, despite fully vaccinating 67% of its population with AstraZeneca Plc and Sinopharm vaccines, cases began to climb last month. Most cases are mild and no fully vaccinated people have died.

While samples have been sent to Kenya Medical Research Institute, so far only the Beta variant, first identified in

South Africa last year, and the original viral strain found in Wuhan have been identified as being present on the island, he said.

As of June 3 there were 1,233 active cases in the country, an increase from 1,079 on May 29.

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