COVID-19 pandemic ‘Security measures 90% successful’ – police |02 May 2020

The security committee meeting on Thursday (Photo: Joena Meme)

“Overall, the security measures put in place during the coronavirus pandemic in the country recorded 90% success,” deputy commissioner of police Romano Songor has said.

Mr Songor was speaking to the press on Thursday on the last day of meetings

held by the high-level committee which was put in place to oversee security measures during the coranavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country.

The meeting held at State House and chaired by President Danny Faure, was to make a total assessment of the overall performance of the security measures and strategy that were in place, and the way forward, now that the country is bouncing back to normal as the restriction of movement among other restrictions, will as from Monday May 4, 2020, be gradually removed.

Deputy commissioner Songor said that nothing significant happened during this week in relation to non-compliance to COVID-19 restrictions and that the committee once again would like to thank members of the public for complying with the restrictions in place.

He explained that during the days of restrictions with regard to security, a total of six hundred arrests were made in relation to the public health act and other offences. He noted that among the arrests, the police have filed five hundred and forty-two cases among which one hundred of those cases have been sent to the Attorney General’s office for court proceedings.

Deputy commissioner Songor said that the public, on the whole, respected the measures that were in place and that was well appreciated by the committee.

He stated that apart from the COVID-19 offences, other public offences recorded were speeding, unlicensed drivers and vehicles, people under the influence of alcohol and people in possession of items that indicated they were or could have been involved in break-ins and burglaries.

He further stated that the police will not be downscaling their activities after the removal, as from Monday next week, of some of the imposed restrictions in force for the past month, but they will be rescheduling their operation as per the easing of the restrictions in relation to the pandemic.

He noted that apart from the removal of road blocks as an example, vehicle and pedestrian check points, warrant arrests among other operations will continue. He called on the public, in due respect of the removed restrictions, to continue to practice social distancing among other hygienic practices still in force.

Deputy commissioner Songor also commended the assistance given to the police by the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces (SPDF) in maintaining law and order during the enforced COVID-19 security measures.

He said that the joint operation with SPDF will continue for the next two weeks before the police re-assess their planning operation with regard to easing of restrictions in relation COVID-19.

Other departments and authorities on the security committee at the last meeting on Thursday were the department of risk and disaster management (DRDM), the health department, the department of legal affairs, the police force and the defence forces.

Patrick Joubert