10% of the outpost’s residents have tested positive.

While COVID-19 restrictions have been relaxed in large portions of the world, certain countries and locales still need to maintain a heightened degree of vigilance against the coronavirus. One of those locales is the McMurdo research station, located on the southern point of Antarctica’s Ross Island. These highly-isolated research stations must be carefully monitored, as their close confines could be problematic in the event of a viral outbreak.

Unfortunately, despite best efforts, a COVID outbreak has occurred at the McMurdo station. Of the 885 workers and researchers at the station, approximately 10% have tested positive for the virus, prompting isolation and countermeasures like vaccination checks and KN-95 mask distribution. To prevent further infections, travel to and from the outpost has been temporarily halted, barring extenuating circumstances like medical emergencies.

“Consistent with the U.S. National Science Foundation’s commitment to balance research and operational needs while containing the spread of Covid cases in Antarctica, NSF is implementing a pause on all travel to the continent for the next two weeks, effective immediately, while we reassess the situation,” the National Science Foundation said in a statement.

Even before this outbreak, the station had maintained a degree of COVID safety protocol, including fresh vaccinations and screenings for immunocompromised individuals. The precise impact of the outbreak on the station’s research and operation is not yet known.