The Falkland Islands are so isolated that, even though they have had their own travel restrictions in place, few thought their communities would face the rigours of coronavirus.
But it has arrived and a child is said to be very ill indeed, while others are displaying symptoms.
An official tweet said: “A patient in the Falklands hospital has tested positive for the virus. The patient was admitted from the Mount Pleasant Complex on 31 March with a range of COVID19 like symptoms.”
Now the UK has sent medical cargo to the Falkland Islands and British soldiers are helping out where they can.
In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, isolation was a boon to the Falkland Islands, the British territory 400 miles off the coast of Argentina.
The two main islands in the South Atlantic, and more than 700o other smaller islands — made famous by the 10-week war over its possession in 1982.
Thanks to its remoteness, the community of about 3,000 people has managed to stay well behind the steep trajectories that other countries’ outbreaks have followed. With one, 26-bed hospital and seven ventilators, and being located several thousand miles from the UK in the south Atlantic, the Falklands could not afford to take chances.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has stressed Britain will “stand by” Falklanders, as well as residents of all the British overseas territories as the crisis escalates.
Dr Andrea Clausen, Director of Natural Resources, revealed the Islands were in the process of repatriating a total of seven cruise ships by helping passengers, including many from the UK, to catch charter flights back to the their home countries via Mount Pleasant airport.
