The latest list of countries without COVID-19

By MiNDFOOD

The latest list of countries without COVID-19
Which other countries around the world are free from the virus?

Are there still countries without COVID-19?

With a handful of cases detected at the border and in managed isolation since 16 June, New Zealand can no longer boast its COVID-19 free status.

However, there remain a small number of countries with COVID-19, including many neighbouring Pacific Island nations.

 

Greenland first place to eliminate the virus

With 11 coronavirus patients successfully recovered, Greenland has become the first infected place to fully eliminate the virus.

The island, which is a territory of Denmark and has a population of 56,000, reported their first case of COVID-19 on 16 March. The patient lived in the capital, Nuuk.

Greenland adopted the same restrictions as many other places, limiting domestic travel, discouraging public gatherings and requesting returning citizens to self-isolate for two weeks.

By 9 April, the territory had only 11 confirmed cases, all fully recovered from the virus, making it the first affected territory in the world to eliminate the virus with zero deaths.

This is good news for the territory, which has suffered from deadly epidemics in the past.

“A grim history of deadly epidemics brought to Greenland in the 18th and 19th century by European colonizers has fueled fears that the coronavirus, if not checked, will fast reach the many small outlying villages, thereby creating urgent and impossible demands for emergency air transport and intensive care in Greenland’s small hospitals,” wrote The European Union Observer in a COVID-19 report.

 

Cook Islands and other Pacific nations declared COVID-19-free

On 16 April, the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands declared the nation one of the few countries without COVID-19. The island nation, with a population of 17,000, undertook hundreds of tests, all coming back negative.

Addressing the nation, Prime Minister Henry Puna said he welcomed the good news, but reminded citizens to remain cautious. “It’s incredibly important we all remain vigilant even though we are COVID-19 free,” said Puna.

The Prime Minister thanked businesses, churches, local leaders and health officials as “modern-day heroes.”

“I am proud of your courage and dedication. You have fought for our most vulnerable people, our elderly and our children.”

Fiji also declared itself free of COVID-19 in early June, but recorded a new case at the border on 6 July.

Other countries without COVID-19 include Tonga, Samoa, Niue, Kiribati and Tokelau which have all recorded zero total cases of the virus.

The small Southeast Asian island nation of Timor-Leste declared itself free of COVID-19 on 15 May, with no reported deaths from the virus.

 

Antarctica the only continent without the virus

Antarctica remains the only continent free from COVID-19. With just over 1,00 inhabitants, the continent has recorded zero cases of the virus.

People arriving into Antarctica’s research stations are screened and required to go into isolation and research stations have brought on respirators as a precautionary measure.

Due to their isolation, Kiwis at Scott Base were able to hold a special ANZAC service, making it one of the few 2020 ANZAC gatherings in the world.

READ MORE: COVID-19 myths busted. 

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