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The island nation that could be only days away from 'herd immunity'

After one of the world's first COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, the Indian Ocean island nation of Seychelles this month aims to again break ground by reaching so-called “herd immunity."

In an interview with The Associated Press, President Wavel Ramkalawan said the goal should be reached in mid-March, "when we would have vaccinated 70,000 of our people. That represents 70 per cent because our population is 100,000".

The country depends heavily on tourism, and when COVID-19 vaccinations in Seychelles began in January, some workers in the tourism industry were among the first to receive them, along with health workers and the president himself.

READ MORE: When you will receive the COVID-19 vaccine

When COVID-19 vaccinations in the heavily tourism-dependent nation began in January, some travel industry workers were among the first to receive them, along with health workers and the president himself.

By the end of February, about 44 per cent of those vaccinated had received a second shot.

The country has benefited from so-called vaccine diplomacy.

Its vaccination drive started in January with 50,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine donated by the United Arab Emirates, a close trading partner, according to the Seychelles News Agency.

The Emirati carrier, Etihad Airways, has a substantial stake in Air Seychelles.

India donated 50,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India.

The government of Seychelles, which has a significant population of Indian descent, said it purchased an additional 40,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to have enough to inoculate 70,000 people.

“We have a lot of good friends that love us,” Vanessa Lesperance, a Seychelles medical officer, told the AP last month.

“That made it easier for us to get a steady supply of vaccines.”

She added: “We're looking forward to returning to normal life.”

But Dr Sanjeev Pugazhendi with the government's health ministry, said the “new normal” in Seychelles would still include mask-wearing, hand-washing and social distancing at gatherings.

Such measures could be in place for years, depending on the vaccine rollout in the rest of the world, vaccines' duration of immunity and other factors.

“There will always be a continued risk of COVID … until and unless the rest of the world can catch up as well,” Dr Pugazhendi said.

So-called herd immunity is reached when enough people are protected through infection or vaccination to make it difficult for a virus to continue to spread.

The exact threshold for the coronavirus is unknown, although some experts suggest at least 70 per cent of a population would need to be protected to hold the virus in check.

The emergence of new worrisome versions of the coronavirus, however, is further complicating the picture.

Since the pandemic began, Seychelles has had 2849 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 11 deaths, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

The nation’s first two positive cases were confirmed on March 14, 2020, in a couple from Seychelles who had returned from a trip to Italy.

The country, like most other African nations, quickly imposed a nationwide lockdown in which most shops, businesses and schools were closed for three weeks. The airport was closed and ships were prevented from bringing tourists.

Restrictions continue on public gatherings, restaurants and bars.

Tourists flying to Seychelles are required to have recent negative PCR tests for the coronavirus and undergo a seven-day quarantine period at a designated hotel with a negative PCR test at the end of it.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases has dropped over the past two weeks, from 49 new cases per 100,000 people on February 15 to 32 new cases per 100,000 people on March 1, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

COVID-19 vaccines in Seychelles are voluntary and free.

After those on the front line were vaccinated, the elderly were given priority.

The shots are given in hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and some businesses.

Now all residents can get inoculated, except for those under 18.

The publicity surrounding the vaccination drive has helped to dispel misinformation about the shots, according to medical workers.

“The moment we started giving out the vaccines to leaders, religious leaders and health workers, that started to subside,” Dr Pugazhendi said.

When they spoke with the AP last month, Dr Pugazhendi and Ms Lesperance said neither had a vacation since the pandemic had started, with Seychelles' tropical setting almost always in view.

“We’re looking forward to the end of COVID more than anyone else,” she said.