Island that opens to only COVID infected people | Fusion - WeRIndia

Fernando de Noronha is one of the most well-known tourist destinations in Brazil.

It is an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean. It is famous for its emerald waters and serene beaches.

Nearly 100,000 tourists visit this island each year. The visitors have to pay a daily tax to maintain conservation.

It was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Several famous personalities like Charles Darwin visited the site.

Brazil reported the second-highest number of deaths in the world due to coronavirus. Like many other countries of the globe, Brazil also implemented lockdown. The island has been closed since late March due to the corona pandemic.

However, it has been reopened from Tuesday. But only COVID infected and recovered people would be allowed.

The visitors have to show the proof that they have had COVID-19. Two types of tests – RT-PCR test and IgG antibody test results will be accepted. The tests have to be conducted at least 20 days before the arrival to the island.

Guilherme Rocha, the administrator of Fernando de Noronha says that they decided to allow only COVID infected and recovered people to the island in the first phase. Since they have been recovered from the disease, they are immune to it. Hence, they can neither transmit the disease nor be infected again.

Some scientists say that the immunity of the recovered patients is still not known as a young man in Hong Kong was reinfected with coronavirus.

However, Rocha said that the cases of reinfection are rare and not clear. Besides, the notion is questionable. Hence, they allowed tourists who recovered from COVID-19 based on the current understanding that people once infected with this virus are immune to it. Proper safety measures will be taken while allowing tourists.

Image Credit: CCINTRA / CC BY-SA 3.0

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fernando_de_Noronha_-_PE_-_Dois_Irm%C3%A3os.jpg