If reports are to believed, Antartica has recorded its first-ever case of the novel coronavirus. According to a report in The Guardian , 36 new infections are reported among people at a Chilean research base. These included 26 members of the Chilean army and 10 manintenance workers. The cases in Anatartic were reported amid tensions overs the new coronavirus strain
The Gurardian report said that the Spanish media reported the outbreak at the General Bernardo O’Higgins research base on December 21.
The 36 infected individuals were evacuated to Punta Arenas in Chile, where they were reportedly kept under isolation.
Three crew members on a ship providing support to the base were also tested positive. They had returned from their mission to Antarctica, the report said.
In a bid to prevent Covid-19 spread, all major research projects in the Antarctic have been halted.
“Thanks to the timely preventive action it was possible to relieve said personnel, who, after being subjected to a medical control and the administration of a PCR test … turned out to be positive for Covid-19,” The Guardian report cited Newsweek as quoting the Chilean army.
