Kolkata: Four members of a dwindling tribe in the far off Andaman Islands have tested positive for coronavirus, officials said Thursday. It was day India reported 75,760 new coronavirus infections, the highest single-day spike.
The Great Andamanese are one of the six tribes of Mongoloid and African origin, who have lived in the Andamans in the Bay of Bengal. They have done so for thousands of years.
Only about 50 members are currently alive of the tribe. Thousands were killed by British colonisers in the 19th century or died later due to diseases. Indian officials have since tried to protect their way of life. They have opened up the islands to the fruits of development such as access to healthcare, but have allowed the Anadamanese to live in peace.
Dr Avijit Roy, is leading the fight against the outbreak of COVID-19 in the islands. He said they had run tests on the Great Andamanese living on one of the coral-reef islands in the archipelago. After the reports came four of the men had turned out to be positive.
“They have been moved to hospital,” Dr Roy said. “Officials believe the men may have travelled to the main Andaman islands and caught the disease,” he added.
The London-based Survival International said authorities must work to prevent the virus reaching other remote tribes.
“It is extremely alarming that members of the Great Andamanese tribe tested positive for COVID-19. They will be all too aware of the devastating impact of epidemics that have decimated their people,” said Sophie Grig, senior researcher.
In Odisha, a member of a hill tribe had also tested positive, a state official said.
Cases have been rising steadily across India with the total number of cases standing at 3.2 million. India is third in the number of infections behind the United States and Brazil.
The world’s second-most populous country has posted the highest single-day caseload in the world every day since August 7. So it is an alarming situation indeed.
Agencies
