Posted on by Californiacontrarian

Kiribati


The Pacific island nation of Kiribati, which had almost entirely kept the coronavirus out, went into lockdown on 1/22/22 for the first time in the pandemic. The government imposed a 24-hour curfew after passengers on the first international flight in months tested positive for the virus.

Before this month, the island, one of the world’s most remote, had recorded just two infections – in two people returning on a ship in May last year, who quarantined on the vessel.

So you might be asking, “Where is Kiribati?” and “Who cares!”

First … “Where is Kiribati?”

Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an independent island nation in the central Pacific Ocean. The permanent population is over 119,000, more than half of whom live on Tarawa atoll. The state comprises 32 atolls and one raised coral island, Banaba. Kiribati sits in the middle of the South Pacific between Hawaii and New Zealand.

Thirty-six people on a flight from Fiji tested positive on landing about a week ago on the first plane to arrive since the nation reopened its borders this month. All 54 passengers were quarantined at a facility, but at least four cases were since reported in the community, including a security guard at the quarantine center.

Second … “Who cares?”

I find the Kiribati situation interesting because it points out that isolation where possible, as on an isolated island nation, only works for so long.

A similar situation is occurring in American Samoa, which detected its first infection only in September, also announced a full lockdown for 48 hours starting Saturday after an uptick of 15 coronavirus cases that arrived on a flight from Australia.

And speaking of Australia which was in an over the top “lockdown-a-go-go” is now being overwhelmed by Omicron.

What Kiribati, American Samoa, and Australia have in common other than being island nations, is that they all have high vaccination rates, and so one would expect mild although prolific disease with Omicron.

Irrespective of how long and how stringent one’s lockdown policies are, it’s only a matter of time before Covid breaks through.

1/25/22

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