(Photo credit should read VANDERLEI ALMEIDA / AFP via Getty Images)
(CNN) -
The continent of Antarctica registered its first cases of covid-19, after 36 people tested positive at a research base, according to a statement issued by the Chilean Army.
The Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme Station (BAE), a Chilean military base in Antarctica, confirmed that 26 Army personnel and 10 civilians working as contractors at the base tested positive on Sunday.
The Chilean Army statement said that they have an "unconditional commitment to safeguard the health of their members."
The staff of the research base has been isolated and "constantly monitored with the support of the Health Authority of the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Region, achieving so far a favorable diagnosis without complications associated with covid-19 by our staff", adds the statement.
As of Tuesday, Chile has registered a total of 589,189 coronavirus cases and 16,217 deaths, according to the Chilean Ministry of Health.
advertising
Antarctica