Palau Records First Coronavirus Case But Says No Infection Risk

The tiny island state of 21,000 has so far managed to avoid Covid-19 after closing its borders early in the pandemic, despite the huge cost to its tourism-reliant economy.

The remote Pacific nation of Palau reported its first confirmed coronavirus case Monday, but authorities said it was historical and posed no transmission risk. The tiny island state of 21,000 has so far managed to avoid Covid-19 after closing its borders early in the pandemic, despite the huge cost to its tourism-reliant economy. The health ministry said a traveller who arrived in Palau earlier this month was found to have the virus, even though they tested negative once before departing for the island and twice during a two-week quarantine. "Further tests revealed that this is a historical -- past infection -- case of Covid-19, and it is not infectious," it said in a statement.