Local health officials initially struggled to cope with demand as thousands of islanders clamoured for help even as 200 doctors and nurses across the country tested positive for COVID-19.
So far, there have been 3,000 positive COVID-19 cases in a population of around 42,000 across the islands and atolls that comprise the Marshall Islands.A health disaster has been declared on the Marshall Islands after the fast-spreading COVID-19 variant Omicron infected more than a tenth of residents in the capital Majuro in one week.
"The good thing about having all these other countries go before us is we really understand epidemiologically how this variant of the virus spreads: like wildfire," Mr Niedenthal added.On Friday, the Marshalls' President David Kabua signed a "State of Health Disaster" to give the government access to emergency funding.
Three "Alternative Care Sites" set up in Majuro have been swamped by people seeking treatment for symptoms and testing. The tiny island, home to about 1,000 people, would likely see a surge in cases, Niedenthal warned Monday. "They are about a week behind Majuro," he said. A relaxing of the quarantine rules in recent weeks coupled with unprecedented numbers of people coming in through the managed quarantine process is the outbreak's suspected cause.
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