As a distant nation within the Pacific, the Marshall Islands had been nearly utterly spared from Covid-19, registering only a handful of instances all through the pandemic, with no group transmission detected.
However in simply over every week, greater than 4,000 individuals have examined optimistic in a inhabitants of about 60,000, together with the nation’s secretary of well being and human providers, Jack Niedenthal. He has been offering updates on Fb and stated 75 p.c of these examined in Majuro, the capital, had Covid, “an extremely excessive positivity fee.”
In an interview on Tuesday, Mr. Niedenthal stated there was some panic and concern, on condition that the islands, about midway between Hawaii and the Philippines, had not recorded a single Covid case final yr.
“So individuals have been pondering, ‘Hey, these guys actually know what they’re doing,’” he stated. “The issue is individuals began eager to journey, they missed their family members, some leaders traveled.”
As life started to return to regular, preserving the virus out was not possible, he stated. Mr. Niedenthal anticipated the case depend to proceed rising, given the dense inhabitants. “The following three to 4 days are going to be fairly tough,” he stated.
A whole lot of well being care staff have been among the many contaminated. On the hospital in Majuro, immunizations have been halted as a result of nearly the whole staff was out, many of the medical report keepers have been out, and the housecleaning employees was decreased to at least one particular person, he stated.
On Aug. 10, Mr. Niedenthal referred to as well being care staff again to work even when they examined optimistic, saying they’d be screened and wouldn’t work together with sufferers. He stated it was a drastic measure that “has been taken all through the world and the Pacific as Covid numbers rise rapidly and we’re left with no different selection.”
Hospitalizations and deaths are likely to lag behind case numbers, however as of this week there had been few extreme instances, together with six deaths.
The inhabitants is very vaccinated: 72 p.c are totally vaccinated in Majuro, and 61 p.c have boosters, in keeping with authorities knowledge. The Marshall Islands closed its borders in early March 2020, taking extra drastic measures than its neighbors on the time. It was one of many final locations on the planet to get its first instances, when two vacationers have been quarantined in October 2020.
Mr. Niedenthal stated the primary recognized instances of the present outbreak have been amongst a gaggle of youngsters who had no journey historical past or recognized contact with anybody who had been in quarantine. “So we knew we have been in bother, as a result of they got here from a crowded group,” he stated.
He stated that over the previous few days, individuals have been apprehensive, however that there was a robust sense of group on the islands. “It’s not like panic within the U.S. the place everyone is shopping for rest room paper,” he stated.
And in contrast to early within the pandemic, the islands now have entry to Covid therapies, like Paxlovid, an antiviral treatment proven to stop critical Covid instances, despatched by the U.S. authorities. Representatives from the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention arrived on the island in latest days to help with the response.
Different governments have pitched in: Taiwan donated 1000’s of masks, protecting robes and different hygiene merchandise, whereas American Samoa despatched shipments of Paxlovid. The Australian authorities has offered protecting gear, testing kits, masks and face shields.
Angeline Heine Reimers, a authorities employee in Majuro, stated catching the virus had develop into nearly “unavoidable.” Many individuals dwell in multifamily houses, she stated, including that 15 of the 16 individuals who dwell in her home had contracted the virus.
“The great factor is that every one of us had been vaccinated,” stated Ms. Heine Reimers, 46, including that every of their instances had been delicate. Many Marshallese dwell with comorbidities that place them at increased threat if they’re sickened, and the Marshall Islands has one of many highest charges of diabetes on the earth, in keeping with knowledge compiled by the World Financial institution. “Everyone is simply actually scared,” Ms. Heine Reimers stated.
Marie Davis Milne, the mayor of Ebon Atoll, about 240 miles southwest of Majuro, stated that the authorities have been attempting to stop the unfold of the virus by stopping most planes and ships that journey between neighboring islands.
She stated that previously few days, she had volunteered at testing websites on Majuro, the place some individuals had waited beneath the new solar for hours. “Even when it rains they don’t transfer,” Ms. Davis Milne stated. “They don’t need to lose their place in line.”
Jenny Gross and Livia Albeck-Ripka contributed reporting.
