Palau loses virus-free status with first Covid cases

Published
0

The tiny Pacific nation of Palau has reported its first cases of the coronavirus, losing its prized status as one of the world's few Covid-free countries, reports AFP.

Two travellers, who tested positive after arriving from Guam, have been placed in quarantine along with their known contacts.

“We urge everyone to remain calm,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement after deciding against imposing lockdown measures.

Until Saturday, Palau was just one of 14 countries in the world that had recorded no virus cases at all, according to the World Health Organisation.

Opinion

Editorial

Talks, at last
Updated 03 Oct, 2026

Talks, at last

The government’s constant threats to suspend KP’s elected dispensation over a political protest have escalated hostilities considerably. In that context, both sides did well to start talking.
IWT’s future
03 Oct, 2026

IWT’s future

TOGETHER with the Kashmir dispute, India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty has become the biggest...
Pained minds
03 Oct, 2026

Pained minds

IN Pakistan, mental healthcare is wedged between two extremes — a luxury or a stigma. Estimates cited by the...
Risks ahead
Updated 02 Oct, 2026

Risks ahead

To think that the government would rather push out an elected government than grant a single prisoner some facilities does not square up rationally.
Exit from Iraq
02 Oct, 2026

Exit from Iraq

AMERICAN and British troops have once again shipped out of Iraq. On Wednesday, the foreign forces left the Arab...
Lahore’s ozone warning
02 Oct, 2026

Lahore’s ozone warning

LAHORE has received another warning that its air pollution crisis cannot be treated as a problem that begins with...