The pandemic has at last covered every continent of the world. 58 people that were at two military bases in Antarctica on a navy ship that visited the continent tested positive for the coronavirus, announced by Chilean authorities.
On Monday, Chile’s army reported that 36 people at the Gen Bernardo O’ Higgins Riquelme Antarctica base have tested positive for COVID-19, and on Tuesday the health minister for the Biobio region in Chile announced that there are 21 infections which involve people on board the Chilean navy’s Sergeant Aldea supply vessel.
Eduardo Castillo, regional health secretary for the Magallanes area who looks after the Chilean operations in the Antarctic, said that one more case was reported in Las Estrellas’ village, where civilian personnel working at the Lieutenant Rodolfo Marsh Martin Force Base live.
The army further added that the first group of 36 people includes 26 members of the military and 10 civilian employees of a maintenance contract company. Till now no one has shown any complications.
According to the navy, the first three individuals on the Sergeant Aldea vessel tested positive last week and other 208 crewmembers are under quarantine that was on that ship. It said the vessel had serviced the base on the Trinity Peninsula between November 27 and December 10.
The US National Science Foundation that looks after the US programs in Antarctica said that they are aware of the reports of positive cases in passengers aboard the Sergeant Aldea. NSF is not accepting tourists or exchanging personnel at USAP stations.
While the number of new cases has fallen since the beginning of June, Chile has seen a rise in cases in recent weeks, which has led the government to announce lockdown again in Santiago this month. It has also banned travel from the UK following reports of a new strain of the virus.