The isolation of these islands delays helped COVID-19 outbreak. Being removed could be their biggest problem

When it comes to riding a pandemic, Pebble Iceland is like a pretty safe place. Part Falkland archipelago in the South Atlantic route, Pebble is home to only two families – with a total population of six – Riki says Evans, owner of the Iceland Pebble Lodge. With none of their symptoms of COVID 19 and travel between the Falkland Islands now severely limited display, Evans says that the separation of the coming months is not worried. “It does not make much difference to us. We used here on our being. And we’re safe.” In the early stages of the pandemic COVID-19, the insulation has a blessing to the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory 400 miles off the coast of Argentina. The windy archipelago – made up of two main islands and more than 700 smaller islands – are famous fights for the 10-week war the two countries over ownership in 1982 and lived for tens of thousands of penguins. Because of its remoteness, the community of just over 3,000 people ran behind the steep tracks remain good, followed by that of the other outbreaks countries; Officials estimate that the Falkland Islands behind the British patent But three or four weeks LIMP know in case of a major outbreak that isolation could be their biggest problem of the islanders. Nearly a sixth of the inhabitants of the islands are considered high risk because they are elderly or have health conditions is based. While there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Falkland Islands are officials confirmed Thursday that a child is seriously ill with a suspected case. There are testing services for the virus in the Falkland Islands, and it takes 10 days around the test results from the UK to return, which is nearly 8,000 miles. Travel disorder struck Falk, British Patent regularly go for medical purposes or education. And Chile and Uruguay, which normally take the Falkland Islands in the emergency medical evacuations have restricted entry to foreigners, that is, all the health problems need to be addressed in the well-equipped, but small local hospital in Stanley, the small capital city. The islands that almost everything imported more meat, wool and fish, may be vulnerable to global supply shocks. The Falklands government has moved quickly this week the social distancing measures implemented, schools and day care centers to say close to home and ask everyone, but remain essential workers. The most vulnerable asked for 12 weeks stay in their homes. Travel between the islands that form a large area almost as Connecticut, is severely limited now. And someone comes in the Falkland Islands from elsewhere must self-quarantine for 14 days. risks had been pushed by their leaders to take some in the Falklands community stronger measures to close the limits of the territory, as many countries have done, says Leona Roberts, a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Falkland, the equivalent of the local parliament . “It ‘been a very difficult question. But chances maintaining [the] virus indefinitely were so low and disadvantages of our people are enormous,” he says. “We can not keep forever the drawbridge.” Click Stay up to date with our daily newsletter crown. Connections cut off the COVID-19 pandemic it represents an unprecedented challenge for the connections with the means that the remote Falkland been used since 1985, built as the British air force a runway and began regular flights between the United Kingdom and the Falkland Islands in the context of deepening British military presence after the war. These days there are about two a week flights to Chile, Brazil and Argentina, and two flights to the UK, run by the British Ministry of Defense. The flights to Latin America is no longer the case are the flights to the UK and was terminated in March, Robert says as closure of borders around the world by plane Ministry of Defense left nothing refueling stop on the long journey. This meant they were the laboratories Falkland Islands are not able to crown testing in U.K. Send He left a group of about 20 high school students for their final years of secondary education in British patent Flexible Way from their families. The air link has finally been restored earlier this week, Roberts says, the Falkland Islands makes a series of tests in the UK to send, but do not expect to “chase” the results until early April, with the delay of leave the islands according to the chief medical Becky Edwards Falkland. Monday ‘, the Argentine government said the British ambassador in Buenos Aires had stretched islanders to offer material support, including “fresh food, medical care or testing the virus causes COVID-19, as well as all humanitarian flights to sense and medical care for infected in Argentina. “Daniel Filmus, the Argentinian Minister of issues related to the” Las Malvinas “as the South American country called the Falkland islands, adding that” the islands are part of our national territory, then it is our responsibility to express our solidarity with its inhabitants to express. ” Falk, the almost unanimous the United Kingdom in a 2013 referendum to stay, is not interested in the help of Argentina. “What we saw was very elaborate from Argentina in political language,” says Robert. “This makes it very difficult to research this as an offer humanitarian”. He added that the British patent with the help committed to supporting the islands during the pandemic, the purchase of medical equipment. Community Mostly Falk response was to get to their close-knit community, citing the pandemic. If the local government to introduce social distancing measures the spread of the virus began in mid-March to much earlier in the outbreak cycle of most Western countries to avoid islanders responded well, says Robert. “As a politician, I know that the people of these islands, so people tend 90-95% for the confidence that we have their best interests in mind.” Businesses have closed voluntarily to avoid public gatherings, at the bottom, while the local museum closed to protect their own high-risk personnel. People have avoided panic buying, knowing that there is a limit on how much can make the shops. Almost everything is different from that of wool, meat and fish depend on visits from cargo ships a couple of times a month. Mike Summers, who runs the sports association islands says no one on the football suspension, rugby, badminton and basketball he grumbles, is to limit the spread of the virus and prevent sports injuries, would require the impossible now for medical evacuations. Summers says that living in a small community of people less makes a mockery of the government on the sloping crown as some British Pat have done, where images of crowded public outcry last weekend caused spaces. “Here in [Falklands] we know that all elderly and vulnerable people who could potentially die of this thing,” says Summers. “They are our friends-the people with whom we mix a day, and no one wants to take one of them in danger.” About 500 people on the islands are considered high risk, and another 200 are at average risk Robert says. The hospital has seven fans needed to treat severe cases of bed-COVID 19:18 for acute care to treat. Proportionally these numbers are far better than the U. K., but there is still the risk that the health isolated system could be overwhelmed in the event of rapid spread of the epidemic. Economic Risk The island is also small vulnerable economy triggered a global market crash caused by the pandemic. The Falkland Islands are economically self-sufficient and quite rich, mainly thanks to a significant fishing industry, which contributes 50-60% of GDP. International commercial fishing vessels use them to pay for the licenses in the waters of the islands. For the moment, the boats come in yet. Much will depend on how long it takes international travel is interrupted, says Robert. The large agricultural sector suffers in the long run, probably when world market prices for wool and meat fall. The impact on tourism, which more than 60,000 people on the islands every year already winding, mostly on cruise ships so far is limited because the tourist season from November to March brings down when countries around the world have started their citizens to avoid travel warning. “We lost a couple of thousand pounds of cancellations, but nothing too drastic,” says Evans Pebble Lodge. In the short term, as Falk stays at home to start work, the local government must intervene promising companies with a package of measures ranging keep Wednesday. Employers and self-will both be able to claim up to $1,528 for a 14-day period that they or their staff have to take off. Start islanders as their response to the virus isolate themselves from each other in an already secluded, hope to develop lessons from the observation of the pandemic have come to know the rest of the world. “We have seen on television every day what is happening elsewhere and what can happen to your community, if this thing gets control of”, says Summers. Please send any tips, leads and stories [email protected]
Photo copyright Andrew Peacock “We will do everything possible to avoid.” -. Getty Images