From Kiribati to Nauru… which country will be the last to get coronavirus?

CORONAVIRUS has infected one million people worldwide – but there remains 18 countries without any confirmed cases of the killer disease.

The question is now where he last place on Earth to confirm a case of Covid-19 will be as the pandemic ravages the globe.

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John Hopkins University is keeping a global tally of coronavirus cases – announcing the horrific one million cases milestone last night.

Its figures show that 18 countries have not confirmed a case of the coronavirus, from isolated paradise islands in the Pacific,  to the highly secretive North Korea, and then the war-torn Yemen.

The top five countries with the most confirmed infections are currently the United States, with more than 245,000, followed by Spain, Italy, Germany and China.

And then you have these 18 nations at the bottom of the table who are so-far officially coronavirus free.

Remoteness appears to be key in the virus at bay, with many of these nations being the least visited in the world.

Dr Peter MacPherson, a public health expert from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, told the BBC evidence suggests eventually coronavirus will make it to every nation.

Meanwhile, Professor Andy Tatem, from the University of Southampton, said he would “put money” on the last nation standing being one of the islands in the South Pacific.

However, he added: “But in our globalised economy I’m not sure there’s anywhere that will escape such an infectious disease.”

The expert also warned we are nowhere near hit the total peak of cases worldwide, despite many nations going on lockdown.

Professor Tatem said: “We are going to have to live with this virus for quite some time.”

Island nations like Nauru in the Pacific are able to keep coronavirus free due to their national isolation.

The country is 200 miles from any other land masses, with the nearest large city with direct flights being Brisbane – 2,500 miles south west.

It gets as few as 160 tourists every year, and is the smallest United Nations state in terms of landmass aside from Monaco.

Natural borders on these island nations, combined with limited visitors, gives them extra security to help stop Covid-19.

Nauru has however declared a national emergency, along with other case-free pacific islands like Kiribati, Tonga and Vanuatu as they fear an outbreak.

Nauru president Lionel Aingimea has described the nation as having a “capture and contain” policy – and they are trusting prayer through these “tough times”.

Other nations in the coronavirus-free 18 have however raised eyebrows as to the accuracy of their figures.

Getty - Contributor

The island nation of Samoa has zero coronavirus cases (stock image)[/caption]

Reuters

Students on Marovo Island, Solomon Islands, protesting in climate change (stock image)[/caption]

Getty - Contributor

Vanuatu is one of the most isolated places in the world, and has zero cases of coronavirus (stock image)[/caption]

North Korea is suspected of not telling the truth over the coronavirus as it continues to insist it has zero cases.

Kim Jong-un sealed the nation’s borders to tourists early in the outbreak, but many experts do not believe its possible it is virus-free.

Its proximity and close relationship with China – where the virus originated – means its highly likely Covid-19 has crossed into North Korea.

The country remains on lockdown however with its borders tightly sealed and strict quarantine measures in place.

Pyongyang’s ability to handle a coronavirus outbreak has also raised questions, with Kim’s regime having a very fragile health care system.

Speaking last week, South Korean prime minister Chung Sye-kyun said the “situation is probably not good in North Korea”.

And then in Turkmenistan, the strategy appears to be one of sticking your head in the sand as they claim zero cases.

Authorities in the central Asian state have reportedly banned the media using the word coronavirus, and threatened to arrest anyone wearing a mask.

AP:Associated Press

North Korea continues to test weapons – with another launch on March 29 – but has no coronavirus[/caption]

AFP or licensors

Women shop for hand and surface disinfectants at a market in Yemen on April 2[/caption]

Countries like South Sudan and Yemen meanwhile are wracked with war, meaning accurate reporting of coronavirus cases is extremely unlikely.

Martin Griffiths, the UN envoy to Yemen, has called for a ceasefire to help fight back against the threat from Covid-19.

He said negotiations are ongoing between the factions to try and bring an end to the conflict to help manage the potential impacts from coronavirus.

In a statement, his office said: “[We are] engaging the parties on reaching agreements on a nationwide ceasefire… and the urgent resumption of the political process aimed at comprehensively ending the war.

“This process further aims to foster joint efforts to counter the threat of Covid-19.”

The five year old war is seen as a proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and has led to the death of 100,000 people in a humanitarian crisis.

Coronavirus has now claimed the lives of more than 53,000 victims across the world.

And this is even with half of the world’s population being under some form of lockdown.

World Health Organisation officials have said they are concerned about the “near exponential” continuing growth in cases.

The world’s economy is also in tatters, with government’s having to stump up to support people who can no longer work and prop up businesses at risk of collapse.

‘RAPID ESCALATION’

WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu said: “As we enter the fourth month since the start of the pandemic, I am deeply concerned about the rapid escalation and global spread of infection.”

Coronavirus first originated in China, and is believed to have been spawned in one of the nation’s so-called wet markets – where live animals are kept in cramped conditions, allowing viruses to spread and mutate before passing to humans.

China now claims to have weathered much of the coronavirus storm, but questions remains over their officials case number of just over 80,000.

Hopes the virus could be contained have long faded, and now world governments are scrambling to try and save lives.

The US is now the epicentre of the infection, with fears it could kill up to 240,000 people before the bug is beaten.

The world’s youngest victim is believed to be six-week-old baby who died in the US state of Connecticut.

US President Donald Trump said “horrific days” are ahead for his nation as the daily death toll reached 1,000.

He said: “Our country is in the midst of a great national trial unlike any it has ever faced before.”

Britain continues to fight back against the infection with a nationwide lockdown as the death toll passed 3,000.

Other nations in Europe such as Spain and Italy have also been ravaged by Covid-19 with death tolls now over 10,000.

The Queen is due to address the United Kingdom on Sunday as ongoing dark days loom for everyone worldwide.