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Pacific’s Micronesia Records First COVID-19 Case

Micronesia, a remote Pacific nation has recorded its first case of COVID-19 on Monday. This ends its run as one of the few places on Earth without the coronavirus.

President David Panuelo acknowledged the development was “alarming” for the country’s 100,000 inhabitants but said the case had been contained at the border.

“For this reason, citizens across the nation should remain calm. Do not panic because the situation is contained,” he stated in a televised briefing.

Panuelo said the positive test came from a crewman on a government ship “Chief Mailo”, which had been in the Philippines undergoing repairs.

He said the man and his colleagues remained on the vessel, which was anchored in a lagoon under round-the-clock surveillance.

“We remain in what we call COVID-condition-four, which means that schools, churches, and businesses of all kinds are still open,” he added.

Pacific island nations have been among the most successful in the world at keeping out the virus after closing their borders early in response to the threat. This however caused a huge loss to the tourism-reliant economy.

Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, and now Micronesia have lost their virus-free status. Although none have so far reported community transmission.

However, the island nations and territories of Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Tonga, and Tuvalu are believed to still be free of the coronavirus.

The cautious approach adopted in the Pacific islands was prompted by fears they are susceptible to contracting the virus. This is due to poor hospital infrastructure and high rates of underlying health conditions such as obesity and heart disease.

 

 

 

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