London: Amid panic over the new coronavirus strain discovered in the UK, Antarctica has recorded its first-ever cases of COVID-19.
According to a report in The Guardian, 36 new infections were reported among people stationed at a Chilean research base. These included 26 members of the Chilean army and 10 maintenance workers.
The outbreak at the General Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme research base was reported on Monday.
The 36 infected individuals were evacuated to Punta Arenas in Chile, where they are reportedly kept under isolation.
Three crew members on a ship providing support to the base 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, The Guardian said.
“Thanks to the timely preventive action, it was possible to relieve the 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 a report quoting an Chilean army spokesperson.
