Micronesia has likely become the final nation in the world with a population of about 115,000 to experience an outbreak of COVID-19, AP News reported on 20 July.
For more than two-and-a-half years, the Pacific archipelago managed to avoid any outbreaks thanks to its geographic isolation and border controls.Those people who flew into the country with the disease did not spread it because all new arrivals were required to quarantine.
However, despite these measures, the highly contagious Omicron variant did penetrate into the country’s territory.
On 19 July the government announced it had become aware of multiple cases across two of the nation’s four states.
Turkmenistan is the only other country with more than 100,000 people that hasn’t reported any cases by the authorities.
Experts believe there has been a significant outbreak there that the autocratic leadership has chosen to ignore.
On 12 May the authorities of North Korea announced its first case of the omicron variant of COVID-19 and declared the implementation of the “maximum emergency” virus control system, putting an end to its coronavirus-free claim.
According to the WHO statistics, apart from Turkmenistan Saint Helena with its population of 4439 and Tokelau, a dependent territory of New Zealand with 1499 people are currently considered to be COVID free countries.
A few days ago “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” reported that COVID-19 cases had been identified in Lebap velayat and Ashgabat residents were invited for the fourth dosage of the COVID-19 vaccine.
A year ago the COVID-19 outbreak was recorded in Turkmenistan.Doctors and patients told correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” that there was panic and chaos in overcrowded hospitals and long queues formed in front of pharmacies.
More about the COVID-19 outbreak is available in the article of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” here.The post Turkmenistan remains the last of bigger COVID free nations, according to the authorities first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.