Daily Current Affairs Article 26th December 2020: At least 36 people at a Chilean research station in Antarctica have been found infected with the novel coronavirus. This is the first instance of the virus on the icy, southernmost continent.
The infected people were stationed at the General Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme, located on the northernmost tip of Antarctica, facing the southern Chilean coast.
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Antarctica is uninhabited except for those manning the nearly 60 permanent stations established by several countries, including India, for carrying out scientific research.
As of now, the Indian contingent in Antarctica is not worried about the virus spreading. The two Indian permanent stations in Antarctica, Maitri and Bharati, are at least 5,000 km away from the Chilean base. The two Indian stations are themselves separated by almost 3,000 km.
The Goa-based National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) is the nodal agency for India’s scientific expeditions in Antarctica and the Arctic.
