Add Category
The Pacific nation of Vanuatu only this week recorded its first case of COVID-19 — joining the vast majority of the world's countries that have been affected by the virus.
Key points:
- Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and Marshall Islands have all recently reported cases
- North Korea and Turkmenistan both dubiously claim to be COVID-free
- There are seven countries in Australia's neighbourhood believed to still be free of coronavirus
An asymptomatic man returned from the United States, which has recorded upwards of 10 million cases of coronavirus, before testing positive in Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, on Tuesday.
The neighbouring Solomon Islands and Marshall Islands recorded their first COVID-19 infections last month, but have not yet seen cases of community transmission.
More than 50 million people worldwide have been infected with coronavirus and more than one million have lost their lives.
Here's a look at the lucky countries who are still (or claim to be) COVID-free.
Turkmenistan
The Government of Turkmenistan claims not to have detected any COVID-19 cases at all.
This is despite the fact neighbouring Iran has recorded more than 715,000 coronavirus cases to date and around 40,000 deaths.
What's more, the Global Health Security Index, released by John Hopkins University in 2019, ranked Turkmenistan's health system 147th out of 156 countries in terms of preparedness to mitigate the spread of an epidemic.
Turkmenistan's COVID-free status is therefore more likely a symptom of the country's repressive policies than the truth.
The autocratic President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov — who gained international notoriety last year for doing doughnuts next to a flaming crater to prove he was not dead — has made sure discussion of coronavirus is heavily censored.
While there have been more reported deaths from respiratory conditions in 2020 than usual, authorities have blamed dust and air pollution.
Access to the country is limited, but World Health Organization (WHO) officials were permitted to travel there in July.
"WHO is aware of several sources reporting alleged COVID-19 transmission in the country, and is concerned about reports of increasing acute respiratory infections and pneumonia," its report said.
Deputy Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, Rachel Denber, said in September: "Turkmenistan's Government has prioritised the country's image over people's wellbeing."
North Korea
An even more closed-off and totalitarian society than Turkmenistan, North Korea has also reported no cases of COVID-19.
This is despite having a 1,420 kilometre border with its ally and closest trade partner China, where the virus was first detected and at least 92,000 cases have been recorded.
Neighbouring South Korea has seen more than 27,000 infections.
Experts have widely disputed that it's possible the North has no cases whatsoever.
North Korea was one of the first countries to shut its borders, barring foreign tourists in January and halting all flights in and out.
The Government in February indicated borders would not reopen until a cure was found. It has also mandated masks and restricted public gatherings.
In July, it looked as though the North's first case had emerged after somebody crossed the border from South Korea and authorities have repeatedly shut down the border city of Kaesong.
But a WHO situation report from North Korea from October 29 said there had been zero cases reported from 10,462 tests conducted — a very low number for a country of more than 25 million.
However, some 5,368 people were suspected COVID patients, the WHO said.
Pacific island nations
With their relatively weak healthcare systems, a number of Pacific nations have enforced strict limitations on who is allowed to cross their borders since the pandemic began.
As a result, Nauru, Tonga, Kiribati, Micronesia, Palau, Samoa and Tuvalu are the remaining countries not to have reported any COVID cases.
The WHO has reported 18,337 cases across the entire Pacific since the pandemic began — fewer than in the state of Victoria.
While Pacific nations' geography makes them vulnerable to climate change, it is a unique advantage in a deadly pandemic.
Their isolation has made shutting off borders to the rest of the world relatively easy.
For example, even after Vanuatu was struck by a major cyclone in April, it did not allow foreign aid workers to disembark for response efforts.
Nevertheless, it has taken a toll on their largely tourism-dependent economies.
A new report by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) this week warned of an impending food crisis in the Pacific caused by the pandemic.
"Food systems were already under pressure. COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated those pressures," said ACIAR CEO Professor Andrew Campbell.
"The pandemic is threatening to morph from a health crisis to a food crisis. Women and girls are among the most severely affected groups, and the most at risk from worsening food security."
Australia has boosted its economic support to the region, with the Morrison Government allocating more than $300 million in the Budget to provide economic assistance to recover from the pandemic.
The Government pledged a further $500 million late last month to ensure a "fast, safe vaccine rollout in the Pacific and South-East Asia".