New Antarctica Teams Take Extra Measures to Keep Coronavirus Out

America's first flight to Antarctica after the southern winter arrived with crews taking extra safety measures to keep the coronavirus out.

The U.S. Air Force flight arrived Monday from Christchurch, New Zealand. The flight carried 106 passengers and crew, said Tony German. He is a representative for the U.S. Antarctic¹ Program. The program carries out U.S. scientific research activities.

Antarctica is the driest, coldest and windiest place on Earth. It is the world's only continent with no recorded cases of the coronavirus. A worldwide effort aims to make sure incoming scientists and workers do not bring the virus with them.

German told The Associated Press the new arrivals will start getting ready for Antarctica's upcoming summer season. The team will replace much smaller crews that spent the Southern Hemisphere's winter in Antarctica.

Monday's flight was delayed for three weeks by big storms. That meant the passengers had an extended², six-week quarantine. German said the crews were first isolated⁴ in San Francisco for four days. They then spent five weeks isolated in New Zealand, where they received several coronavirus tests during their stay.

On their arrival at McMurdo Station - the main U.S. base in Antarctica – all crew members will still be required to wear face coverings for two weeks. "We are being meticulous⁵ to ensure nothing happens," German said.

If the virus does enter the station, German said measures have been established to test and isolate³ any infected individuals.

Still, the flight delays over recent weeks showed how difficult it can be to quickly remove people from Antarctica. German said it took more than a week for winter crews at McMurdo to remove snow from the storms and clear the runway.

The Boeing C-17 Globemaster that landed Monday afternoon was the first U.S. flight to arrive on the continent since early May.

Officials say unusual teamwork involving the U.S., China, Russia and other countries took place this year in an effort to keep the virus out. All countries are planning to reduce numbers at their stations for the summer. The number of people at McMurdo is set to reach 450 this summer. That is about one-third of the usual level.

Some planned research and building projects will be delayed. German said the main goals are to keep the stations running and prepare for next year's winter, while trying to do some science along the way. "The show must go on," he said.

Words in This Story

quarantine – n. a situation in which a person or people are kept away from others in order to prevent the spread of disease⁶

isolate – v. to be kept away from other people

meticulous – adj. very careful about doing something, to be very exact

ensure – v. to make sure something happens

runway – n. a long flat area from which airplanes take off and land

1 Antarctic   

adj.南极(区)的；n.(the A-)南极洲，南极圈

参考例句：

• The Antarctic is a mountainous area.南极洲是一个多山的地区。
• It is well known that penguins live in the Antarctic.企鹅生活在南极洲是众所周知的。

2 extended   

adj.延伸的；伸展的；延长的；扩大的v.延伸(extend的过去式和过去分词)；伸展；延长

参考例句：

• an extended lunch hour 延长了的午餐时间
• France has greatly extended its influence in world affairs. 在世界事务中，法国的影响已大大地扩大了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

4 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

5 meticulous   

adj.极其仔细的，一丝不苟的

参考例句：

• We'll have to handle the matter with meticulous care.这事一点不能含糊。
• She is meticulous in her presentation of facts.她介绍事实十分详细。

6 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。