Antarctica – the last continent without COVID – suddenly has 36 cases, officials say

The coronavirus has made its way to Antarctica, which had been the last continent without any positive cases, according to Chile officials.

Thirty-six people at the Bernado O’Higgins research station tested positive for COVID-19, Chilean news network 24 Horas reported. The research station is operated by the Chilean Army.

Of the 36 positive cases, 26 are military personnel and the other 10 are maintenance workers, BBC reported. They have all been evacuated to Chile, BBC said.

The base recently underwent its annual exchange of personnel, according to The Antarctic Report.

Personnel who traveled from Chile to Antarctica had to quarantine and be tested before the trip, according to Chilean publication La Prensa Austral, but the virus was still brought to the desolate continent.

Three crew members on board the ship taking the infected personnel back to Chile also tested positive, La Prensa Austral reported.

In the northern tip in west Antarctica, the base’s location is called “hard to reach even by Antarctic terms,” Australian news outlet ABC.net reported.

There have been more than 589,000 cases of the coronavirus in Chile, which is the fifth most in South America, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Around 1,000 scientists travel to Antarctica during the winter at the continent’s 40 year-round bases, the Associated Press reported in September.

The virus was deemed “high risk with potential catastrophic consequences” if it ever reached Antarctica, according to documents seen by the AP from the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs. Thirty countries make up the council.

This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Antarctica – the last continent without COVID – suddenly has 36 cases, officials say."