COVID-19 pandemic in the Pitcairn Islands

Last updated
COVID-19 pandemic in the Pitcairn Islands
Disease COVID-19
Virus strain SARS-CoV-2
Location Pitcairn Islands
First outbreak Wuhan, Hubei, China
Confirmed cases4 [1]
Active cases0
Recovered4
Deaths
0
Government website
Government of Pitcairn Island Travel and Quarantine Policy

The COVID-19 pandemic in the Pitcairn Islands - a British territory - is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reached the islands on 16 July 2022. [2]

Contents

Background

The Pitcairn Islands are a remote island chain in the Pacific consisting of the islands Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno. They are the last British Overseas Territory in the Pacific. [3] The islands have approximately 35 inhabitants (2023). [4]

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019. [5] [6]

The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, [7] [8] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll. [9] [7]

Timeline

2020

As a precautionary measure, the Pitcairn Islands Government closed the territories' borders. As a result, all passenger services to the Islands were suspended in mid-March 2020. [10]

2021

The territory's entire population was vaccinated in May 2021, with vaccines that arrived via ship from New Zealand. [11] [12] [13] As of 28 February, 2022, 106 vaccines have been administered. [14]

2022

In March 2022, the Pitcairn Islands reopened its border to international travel. Regular shipping with French Polynesia resumed on 5 July 2022. [15]

On 16 July, the Pitcairn Islands reported its first case. [2]

On 20 July, the Pitcairn Islands reported 3 cases, bringing the total number of cases to 4. [16]

See also

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References

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