Keep out: indigenous communities close off to avoid virus disaster
- Remote, vulnerable communities like Yarrabah in Australia that have limited resources and widespread underlying health conditions are restricting entry
- Some Pacific Island nations are adopting similar measures, while Canada’s First Nations reserves are trying to adapt to new routines
The only road into Yarrabah shut at midnight on Thursday. Like many remote communities across Australia, the town on the tropical far northeast coast is pulling up the drawbridge to stop the coronavirus from entering. Only emergency personnel and health workers are allowed in, after their temperatures are checked. Rangers have stepped up sea patrols to stop access by boat.
With Aboriginal Australians among the most vulnerable to underlying health conditions, the battle to stop the spread of the coronavirus could literally be life or death for their communities.
“It’s a very difficult crisis to manage because we’re talking about a segment of society that generally doesn’t respond well to heavy-handed rules and regulations,” Yarrabah’s senior medical officer Jason King said.
