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Micronesia - Covid-free until now - reports first infection

11 January 2021 19:09 (UTC +04:00)

The Pacific island nation of Micronesia has reported its first coronavirus case - one of the last nations on earth to confirm an infection, APA reports citing BBC.

In a message published on Friday, the government confirmed a sailor aboard a government-owned ship had tested positive after returning from the Philippines.

The government said the case was being considered an imported case "and does not present any immediate risk of the virus spreading to the broader community".

Most island nations in the Pacific closed their borders in the early days of the pandemic, amid concerns their weak healthcare systems would not be able to cope with an outbreak.