Micronesia Among the Last Nations to Report COVID-19 Cases

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Micronesia has likely become the final nation in the world with a population of more than 100,000 to experience an outbreak of COVID-19.

For more than two-and-a-half years, the Pacific island nation successfully avoided any outbreaks because of its physical isolation¹ and border controls. People who flew into the country with the virus did not spread it because all new arrivals were required to quarantine.

But those defenses could not keep out the highly infectious² omicron version of the virus forever.

On Tuesday, Micronesia's government announced it knew of several cases across two of the nation's four states.

Officials said that in Kosrae State, 25 people were confirmed to have the virus after showing up at a local hospital. An additional 10 people from a family of 11 tested positive after a medical team visited them.

Officials said they had also found seven community cases in the state of Pohnpei. State leaders there have asked all locals to avoid public gatherings³ and to always wear masks.

The outbreak comes less than two weeks before Micronesia planned to end its quarantine restrictions⁴ and reopen its borders on August 1.

Last year, Micronesia became one of the few countries to put in place a COVID-19 vaccination⁵ requirement for all citizens who are eligible⁶, or able, to get one. It threatened to withhold⁷ federal money from any individuals or business owners who did not follow the rules. As a result, it has had high vaccination rates.

Almost all nations in the world have now experienced COVID-19 outbreaks.

The Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan is the only other country with more than 100,000 people that has not reported any cases. Experts believe that there has likely been a major outbreak there that the secretive country has chosen to ignore.

There has also been mixed information from North Korea. In May, North Korea publicly admitted it had a COVID-19 outbreak. Since then, it has reported 4.8 million cases with people having high body temperatures. But state media identified only a small number of them as confirmed COVID-19 patients. North Korea has a lack of COVID-19 testing supplies.

Words in This Story

isolation –n. the state of being separated from others

quarantine –v. to keep a person away from others to prevent a disease from spreading

positive –adj. showing the presence of something, such as a test for a disease

1 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

2 infectious   

adj.传染的，有传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。
• What an infectious laugh she has!她的笑声多么具有感染力啊！

3 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

6 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

7 withhold   

v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡

参考例句：

• It was unscrupulous of their lawyer to withhold evidence.他们的律师隐瞒证据是不道德的。
• I couldn't withhold giving some loose to my indignation.我忍不住要发泄一点我的愤怒。