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The Vanuatu archipelago has reported its first case of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic on Wednesday, authorities in this Pacific island country have informed, according to DPA quoted by Agerpres.
With around 300,000 inhabitants, Vanuatu was one of the few countries not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Bob Loughman announced the case in a speech to the nation, assuring fellow citizens that “the country remains safe”.
“The government, through the working group to fight the new coronavirus, will continue to provide the public with updated information on the situation of COVID-19 and in particular on this case,” the official told Radio New Zealand (RNZ) Pacific.
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The infected man traveled from the United States to Vanuatu, via Sydney and Auckland.
He was asymptomatic when he arrived in Vanuatu on November 4, but the test on the fifth day of arrival was positive on Tuesday, the health ministry said.
Loughman added that the man was placed in solitary confinement for treatment and monitoring.
Vanuatu closed its borders and declared a state of emergency during the coronavirus pandemic on March 25. Despite the lack of COVID-19 cases, but due to the country’s vulnerability to disasters, the state of emergency has been extended until December 31st.
Only recently has the country started allowing repatriation flights.
Vanuatu is ranked by the World Bank as the country most exposed to natural disasters in the world. In April, a strong Category 5th tropical cycle hit the archipelago, affecting more than 159,000 people.
According to the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the island states of Micronesia, Samoa and Tuvalu are among the few countries that have not reported cases of new coronavirus infection.
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