It was the last continent spared by the pandemic: Antarctica was also affected by the Covid pandemic, according to a statement from the Chilean army.

This press release reports 36 contagions in the Bernardo OHiggins Riquelme military base, including 26 officials from the military institution and 10 external maintenance employees. Here is where this database is located:

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Contamination by a vessel on mission

The contagion could be traced back to a visit to the base of the Sargento Aldea ship. The latter had carried out maneuvers between November 27 and December 10 to improve the infrastructure of the military base. The Chilean army then placed him in preventive quarantine on December 18 after the discovery of 3 cases of Covid among his crew.

Regarding the sick at the base, the Chilean army ensures that the sick are under permanent medical surveillance thanks to “the support of the health authority of the region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, which has allowed up to present to our staff not to contract any complications related to Covid-19 ”.