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Antarctica is no longer the only continent free from the pandemic.
Thirty-six people stationed at the General Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme Antarctic base tested positive for the virus, Chilean officials said this week. The permanent research station is located at the tip of the continent in southern Chile.
Of those infected, 26 are members of the Chilean army and 10 are civil maintenance personnel, authorities said in a statement to the Spanish-language television channel 24 Horas. Officials added that contacts were being traced and those who tested positive were isolated.
No other country has publicly reported positive cases in Antarctica, USA Today reported, and concerted efforts have been made to ensure the virus does not reach the remote continent.
The impacts of the spread of the highly contagious virus on the sparsely populated continent could be disastrous, the newspaper noted, because researchers and other personnel are sheltering in close proximity due to harsh elements and have limited medical supplies.
The U.S. National Science Foundation is aware of the positive virus cases at the Chile outpost, a spokesperson said in a statement to NPR.
“The personnel of the stations of the United States Antarctic Program have had no interactions with the Chilean stations in question or with the personnel residing there. NSF remains committed to not exchanging personnel or accepting tourists at USAP stations,” he said the spokesperson.
Chile has experienced a significant outbreak, with more than 590,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 16,200 virus-related deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
As of Wednesday, Chile ranked 24thth in the world for total confirmed cases of coronavirus.
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