More

    Covid outbreak at Antarctic research station forces temporary travel ban

    spot_img

    A Covid outbreak at an American scientific research station in Antarctica has forced U.S. officials to temporarily halt all travel to the remote outpost.

    The National Science Foundation, which operates McMurdo Station on the southern tip of Antarctica’s Ross Island, announced new measures over the weekend to help control the outbreak, which was first reported by NBC News on Friday.

    “Consistent with the U.S. National Science Foundation’s commitment to balance research and operational needs while containing the spread of Covid cases in Antarctica, NSF is implementing a pause on all travel to the continent for the next two weeks, effective immediately, while we reassess the situation,” agency officials said in a statement released Saturday.

    The temporary ban does not include essential travel for health and safety reasons, according to the agency. There is also a medical clinic located at the station to provide health care to its residents.

    The agency confirmed that 10% of the research station’s population have tested positive for Covid during this recent outbreak. There are 885 people currently living and working at McMurdo Station.

    The agency said it “highly recommends” KN-95 masks be worn at all times and will provide them to residents.

    Though the station operates year-round, many scientists typically travel to McMurdo in November for field research during Antarctica’s summer season. It’s not yet clear what, if any, impact the outbreak could have on research and operations at the outpost.

    Though most of the stricter Covid protocols from the past two years — including quarantines, charter flights and multiple PCR tests — have been relaxed, visitors to McMurdo must receive a bivalent booster shot and those who are at high risk for Covid are screened out.

    Evan Bush contributed.

    Source link

    Share

    All countries
    704,753,890
    Total confirmed cases
    Updated on July 9, 2025 2:16 am
    Italy
    26,723,249
    Total confirmed cases
    Updated on July 9, 2025 2:16 am
    Spain
    13,914,811
    Total confirmed cases
    Updated on July 9, 2025 2:16 am
    Iran
    7,627,186
    Total confirmed cases
    Updated on July 9, 2025 2:16 am
    Germany
    38,828,995
    Total confirmed cases
    Updated on July 9, 2025 2:16 am

    Latest Updates

    Frequently Asked Questions

    spot_img

    Related Articles

    5 years later, long Covid is still a medical mystery: What scientists have learned

    When her school closed down in March 2020, Chimére Sweeney, an English teacher in...

    Covid vaccines for pregnant women, healthy kids are no longer recommended by CDC, RFK Jr. says

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer recommend routine Covid shots...

    Here’s what you should know

    A new Covid variant that’s gaining momentum globally has landed in the U.S.The World...

    CDC says parents can decide with doctors if healthy kids get Covid shots

    The nation’s top public health agency posted new recommendations that say healthy children and...