THESE COUNTRIES HAVE ZERO COVID CASES, SAYS WHO. SEE LIST

Cook Islands, a South Pacific nation where 97% of its population is doubly vaccinated. (Photo: Cook Islands/ Instagram)

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Sun 20 February 2022:

For more than two years, the world has been fighting the deadly coronavirus pandemic. There are, however, a few countries that have escaped the pandemic completely.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a list of countries with no cases of the virus. In the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, the majority of these countries and territories are islands. Here’s the full list:

Micronesia: This country is spread across the western Pacific Ocean comprising more than 600 islands. However, Micronesia is made up of 4 island states: Pohnpei, Kosrae, Chuuk and Yap.

Nauru: Located in Oceania, the country features a coral reef and white-sand beaches. As per the WHO list, nearly 68 people per 100 are fully vaccinated here.

Niue: It is a small island nation in the South Pacific ocean. Over 79 people per 100 are fully vaccinated against Covid here.

Pitcairn Islands: This comprises the islands of Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno. It is a small volcanic region situated in the South Pacific at latitude 25.04 south and longitude 130.06 west. 74 people per 100 are fully vaccinated here.

Saint Helena: Known as the place of Napoleon Bonaparte’s exile and death, this is a remote volcanic outpost in the South Atlantic Ocean. WHO claims that 58.16 persons per 100 are fully vaccinated here.

Tokelau: Located near New Zealand, this place has a single airport. It only has a population of about 1,500 people.

Tuvalu: This is a group of three reef islands and six atolls. Tuvalu closed its borders and mandated quarantine. As per WHO, nearly 50 people are fully vaccinated per 100 population.

Turkmenistan and North Korea have also been listed as being free of the deadly coronavirus. These countries have not yet acknowledged any case officially.

The WHO also includes a list of countries that have been hardest hit by the deadly virus. With 77,521,589 cases, the United States leads the list, followed by India with 42,780,235 cases.

Many of the countries and territories that have reported zero cases since the onset of the pandemic are islands in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

The fact that they are bordered only by the sea could be the reason why these countries have not reported a single case of Covid-19 since the pandemic’s onset, according to a report by American media company US News. Another factor which may be responsible for the countries’ and territories’ success is the implementation of strict travel policies, the report said.

Though North Korea has not reported a single case of Covid-19 since the pandemic’s onset, there is widespread scepticism about the country’s claim of zero cases, according to an AP report.

Similarly, there is significant doubt about Turkmenistan’s claim of zero cases, the AP report said. Although the government continues to insist that no cases have been detected, the economy has been impacted by Covid-19, according to a report by English-language newsmagazine Nikkei Asia.

Last year, a senior official of the WHO had cast doubt on Turkmenistan’s claim that it has zero Covid-19 cases, according to a BBC report. Dr Catherine Smallwood, a WHO senior emergencies officer, told the BBC that from the scientific point of view, it is unlikely that the virus is not circulating in Turkmenistan.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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