Failing at the first COVID hurdle?
The arrival of a huge Antonov cargo flight at the international airport last Thursday caused many raised eyebrows as to its handling by the ground staff.
The plane had brought all the necessities for the over 480 visitors from the UAE, who arrived in Seychelles over the weekend.
Eyewitnesses called journalists to express their consternation about the obvious disregard for all safety rules and procedures by the staff who were unloading the cargo. One onlooker reported that the ground staff did not wear any protective equipment such as gloves or masks and were happily interacting with the plane’s crew despite strict orders requiring bare minimum contact with same.
“They completely ignored all protocol and just went about the offloading of the aircraft as if it was still business as usual. There was no one from the health authorities with them either and this worried us who were watching this scenario!” a witness who requested to remain anonymous told our journalist.When this newspaper got the information, it crossed checked with other journalists and it came out that some had also learnt of this and had actually contacted the health authorities-Dr. Louange told a journalist they would take the matter up.Such disregard for rules and standard operating procedures is a highly risky behavior. This is especially true following the mess created by the West African sailors who had come here for a fishing vessel crew change, testing positive for COVID19 despite having provided certificates that they were indeed COVID19 free.
This situation with the mariners, led to certain events which culminated into six Seychellois testing positive for the virus. This has spread a certain level of panic amidst the population, which had already been shaken by the sailors being positive for the virus.
The airport is the first ground for any interaction with any incoming air passenger flight. The level of security and safety measures over there has to increase tenfold and anyone breaking set rules should be severely dealt with. It is not acceptable that it should happen almost on the eve of the official re-opening of the country to commercial visitors. Wearing masks and gloves at the international airport should be compulsory for staff and those who visit there and its implementation cannot afford to be lacking if we are to get in our stride and be able to function in the new normal for as long as possible.
