how the first country in the world is totally free from coronavirus

Located in Oceania, Palau has a chance to become the first country in the world completely free from coronavirus. According to the World Health Organization, since the start of the pandemic, the Pacific archipelago has not recorded any cases of Covid-19. In addition, the population of 18,000 has already started to be vaccinated against the virus Sunday January 3

In times of pandemic, the recipe for success was isolation. Also in January 2020, when the virus began to spread throughout Asia, Palau began restricting its arrival in the country. In March, the borders were completely closed. From then on, massive population tests were adopted to track possible cases. According to a report released on Monday, 3,325 tests have been carried out since April 2020, all negative.

Palau gained access to the United States’ mass vaccination program and received 2,800 doses of Moderna vaccine on Saturday, January 2. To date, the first 59 doses have been administered.

“We are fortunate to be in a position where we have access to vaccines and our small size makes it easier for us to implement the program. It is not mandatory to receive the vaccine, so our goal is to vaccinate about 80% of the population. We hope to obtain total immunity of the herd thanks to the vaccination program ”, declared the Minister of Health from Palau, Knight Udui a CNN.

Sylvia Osarch, a 60-year-old geriatric doctor, was the first person in the country to receive the vaccine and said she was “encouraged to set an example in the community.”

“I want to tell the community that I took the vaccine to protect them. So when it’s your turn, get the vaccine to protect us health workers,” he said.

According to the EFE agency, only 13 countries remain in the world free from coronavirus. Almost all of them are found in Oceania and the Pacific region, with a few exceptions, such as North Korea and Turkmenistan, or the island of Saint Helena, where Napoleon Bonaparte died.

Of the 195 countries recognized by the UN, only 7% are free from this great pandemic that has hit the planet, as we have not remembered for more than a century with the so-called Spanish flu (1918).

According to the WHO list, updated on December 29, these are the territories that have been spared or claim to have had no cases: Turkmenistan, Tonga, Tokelau, Samoa, Saint Helena, Pitcairn, Palau, Niue , Nauru, Kiribati Cook Islands, American Samoa and North Korea.