The body of a Filipino fisherman washed up on a beach in Vanuatu, where it tested positive for COVID-19 – which led to the island nation in the Pacific Ocean being banned from traveling for three days.
The remains were discovered on April 11 near the capital of Port Vila on the island of Efate, reports Radio New Zealand.
The body tested positive for the deadly bug after it was taken to the local morgue.
After the fisherman’s body was found on the beach, a tanker with the British flag was detained by the authorities.
Earlier in the day, the ship discovered that one crew member was missing when it left Port Vila. According to CNN, it was ordered to return to the port as a search-and-rescue mission was launched.
In response, Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Bob Loughman announced that the government was issuing an order banning outgoing trips from Efate for three days while contact was made.
He appealed to the public to undergo voluntary testing for the disease.
Russell Tamata, the director general of health, confirmed that 16 people had been placed in quarantine in a hotel, most of whom were police officers at the scene when the body was found.
It was unclear whether the man died of COVID-19 and whether he came ashore.
According to CNN, which quoted data from Johns Hopkins University, the country reported only three cases of the disease. It reported its first case in November and two more in March.
