With more than 1.5 million cases of coronavirus reported across 209 countries and territories, very few populations remain unaffected.
Yet if current travel restrictions were lifted and we were able to move more freely, might some of the world's more remote communities be a safer bet to shelter from the pandemic?
Heading off to far-flung Pacific Ocean islands or even the Arctic tundra might seem like a sensible, if somewhat drastic, option.
But before you pack your bags it might be an idea to do some homework first.
Here, our look at living in some of the most isolated places in the world reveals there is every reason to exercise caution.
La Rinconada
At 5,100 meters, this Peruvian mining town is the highest permanent settlement on Earth.
The lure of La Rinconda is gold, with a boom from 2001 to 2009 boosting the population to 30,000 people.
Conditions are grim, with no plumbing or sanitation, while hypoxia, an altitude sickness than can lead to death, is an everyday hazard.
Miners often work 30 days without pay in the hope the ore they can collect free on the 31st day contains gold.
Mercury, used to extract the gold from rock, has contaminated the land and polluted water supplies as far as Lake Titicaca.
The world’s most northerly town, Longyearbyen is on the west coast of Spitzbergen, an island in the north of Norway.
There are no roads connecting the town with other settlements, with transport options including snow mobile and boats, while Svalbard Airport connects the population of 2,700.
Coal mining continued until the late 1950s, with the town rebuilt after the Second World War when it was destroyed by the German battleships Tirpitz and Scharnhorst.
No-one is born here, because pregnant women are required to fly to the mainland three weeks before giving birth, where hospitals can deal with emergencies.
Death is also complicated. The permafrost means no-one can be buried, so bodies are also flown out for funerals.
Because of the danger of coronavirus in a community with only limited medical services, all visitors were ordered to leave on March 15.
Ittoqqortoormiit
On the east coast of Greenland, this community of just under 500 people is as difficult to spell as it is to get to. It is also the most remote community in the Western Hemisphere.
Hunting is big here, along with some fishing, hampered by the fact that sea ice blocks access to the town for nine months of the year. Otherwise, contact with the rest of the world is by helicopter.
The town was founded in 1925 and its name means “Big-House Dwellers” in the local dialect.
It is too cold for trees, but has some tourists from Denmark during the few ice free months.
Being mauled by a polar bear is a much bigger risk than coronavirus. A visiting reporter from the London Daily Telegraph last September was told "never leave without a rifle."
Palmerston Island
This atoll in the middle of the Pacific is part of the Cook Islands, whose capital Rarotonga is 800 kilometres away and administered jointly with New Zealand, a distant 3,000km.
There is no air service, so Palmerston Island can only be reached by boat. The good news is that a telephone was recently installed.
The island’s claim to fame is that all but three of its 70-odd inhabitants are descended from William Marsters, a sailor from Gloucester, England, who settled there in 1863, along with three wives.
The local accent still reflects his West Country burr, as does the surname which originally was probably Masters.
Located in the tropics, Palmerston Island is also prone to destructive cyclones.
Utqiagvik
This Alaskan town started the New Year in lockdown, not from an early bout of Covid-19, but because of rabies.
The cause of the quarantine was a rabid fox that bit a local dog, not an unusual occurrence in Utgiagvik.
Originally called Barrow, the town changed its name in 2016, to the Inuit for “gathering wild roots,” or possibly potato, or maybe snowy owl. Around 4,500 people live here, the most northerly town in the USA.
Around 2,000km from the North Pole, only 2.6 per cent of the world is further from the Equator.
Snow generally falls in October and only thaws in May, with the Sun below the horizon for 66 days. The area is one of the cloudiest places in the world.
The town’s biggest claim to fame is that it is where the American actor and humorist Will Rogers died in a plane crash in 1959.
Tristan da Cunha
Anyone with coronavirus is likely to realise they have it before they reach Tristan da Cunha, given the shortest journey to the island is a week-long boat trip from South Africa.
Just to be sure though, the island council recently imposed a total ban on visitors “until further notice”.
A British Overseas Territory, Tristan, as the locals call it, is nearly 2,500km from Cape Town and nearly 10,000km from London and the mother country. Not for nothing is it called the world’s most remote island.
Settled by Britain in the 19th Century, Napoleon died here in exile. Tristan was completely cut-off from the outside world from 1909 to 1919, when a passing Royal Navy cruiser stopped to tell them of the First World War.
There is no air connection, nor mobile phone network, and only a single internet cafe. The island was becoming a popular cruise ship stop until this was halted by Covid-19.
Oymyakon
Social distancing is not really a concern in Oymyakon, where temperatures right now are a balmy -8 Centigrade.
This remote Siberian town is one of the coldest places on Earth, with winter temperatures dropping to as low -71C. Schools only close when the mercury drops below -50C.
Life here is determined by the cold. Vehicle engines are left permanently running to stop them freezing. Because the ground is always frozen, no crops grow, and most people eat largely meat and fish.
Ice cubes made from horse blood and macaroni are a popular snack. Even vodka freezes if left outside. Bonfires are lit for several days to thaw the ground to bury the dead.
Climate change is the biggest threat to the community, whose numbers have dropped by nearly two thirds in recent years, to around 800.
Summer temperatures now peak well over freezing, bring the risk of fires, new diseases, and buildings collapsing as the permafrost melts.
Villa Las Estrellas
Keep going past the beaches of Rio, the rolling pampas of Argentina and the snowy peaks of Chile, and at last you reach Villa Las Estrellas, one of only two civilian settlements in Antarctica.
One condition of moving to the “Village of the Stars” is the removal of your appendix, since health care is limited. There is a post office, a community centre and a souvenir shop, run by local women.
Villa Las Estrellas made headlines when the weather station recorded 18.3C in February this year, a record high for Antarctica.
Spare a thought, though, for those further south, where scientists at the Antarctic research stations are completely cut off during the winter months. For the moment though, it remains the only continent completely free of coronavirus.
Siwa Oasis
Around 33,000 people live in this isolated oasis, nearly 600km from Cairo.
Long cut off from the rest of Egypt, its Berber population have developed a distinct culture, which once permitted same sex marriage among men.
The Siyaha festival celebrates the community’s patron saint, while a traditional dish served at Eid Al Adha is the skin of a sheep filled with its innards.
In 1893 it was visited by the German explorer Herman Burchardt, who would go on to take the first photographs of Abu Dhabi.
Plentiful fresh water springs mean dates and olives are cultivated, but it is tourism that it the mainstay of the economy - or was until coronavirus.
Kerguelen Islands
All you need to know about the Kerguelen Islands is that their unofficial name is the “Islands of desolation,” or “Iles de la Désolation” in French.
It is France who administers the islands, one of the most isolated places on Earth and over 3,000km from the nearest population in Madagascar.
Close to the Antarctic, rough seas keep the islands ice free, with the only connection by ship.
Not including a flock of sheep, the population of between 50 to 100 consists of French scientists at a research station, who may reflect that right now at least life on the “Iles de la Désolation” is better than being back home.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results
International 4, United States 1
Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods (US) beat Marc Leishman and Joaquin Niemann (International) 4 and 3.
Adam Hadwin and Sungjae Im (International) beat Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay (US) 2 up.
Adam Scott and Byeong Hun An (International) beat Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau (US) 2 and 1.
Hideki Matsuyama and C.T. Pan (International) beat Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed (US) 1 up.
Abraham Ancer and Louis Oosthuizen (International) beat Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland (US) 4 and 3.
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
LAST 16
SEEDS
Liverpool, Manchester City, Barcelona, Paris St-Germain, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Valencia, Juventus
PLUS
Real Madrid, Tottenham, Atalanta, Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Borussia Dortmund, Lyon, Chelsea
UAE Team Emirates
Valerio Conti (ITA)
Alessandro Covi (ITA)
Joe Dombrowski (USA)
Davide Formolo (ITA)
Fernando Gaviria (COL)
Sebastian Molano (COL)
Maximiliano Richeze (ARG)
Diego Ulissi (ITAS)
MATCH INFO
Europa League semi-final, second leg
Atletico Madrid (1) v Arsenal (1)
Where: Wanda Metropolitano
When: Thursday, kick-off 10.45pm
Live: On BeIN Sports HD
2019 ASIA CUP POTS
Pot 1
UAE, Iran, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia
Pot 2
China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Qatar, Thailand
Pot 3
Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, India, Vietnam
Pot 4
North Korea, Philippines, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, Turkmenistan
MATCH INFO
Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:
Al Ain 2 Al Duhail 4
Second leg:
Tuesday, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha. Kick off 7.30pm
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
UAE%20SQUAD
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SPECS
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Power: 630hp
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
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Syria squad
Goalkeepers: Ibrahim Alma, Mahmoud Al Youssef, Ahmad Madania.
Defenders: Ahmad Al Salih, Moayad Ajan, Jehad Al Baour, Omar Midani, Amro Jenyat, Hussein Jwayed, Nadim Sabagh, Abdul Malek Anezan.
Midfielders: Mahmoud Al Mawas, Mohammed Osman, Osama Omari, Tamer Haj Mohamad, Ahmad Ashkar, Youssef Kalfa, Zaher Midani, Khaled Al Mobayed, Fahd Youssef.
Forwards: Omar Khribin, Omar Al Somah, Mardik Mardikian.
Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
more from Janine di Giovanni
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The Lowdown
Us
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss
Rating: 4/5
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
NBA FINALS SO FAR
(Toronto lead 3-2 in best-of-seven series)
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
Game 5 Raptors 105 Warriors 106
Game 6 Thursday, at Oakland
Game 7 Sunday, at Toronto (if needed)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
Manchester City transfers:
OUTS
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas (all released)
INS
Ederson (Benfica) £34.7m, Bernardo Silva (Monaco) £43m
ON THEIR WAY OUT?
Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Fabian Delph, Nolito and Kelechi Iheanacho
ON THEIR WAY IN?
Dani Alves (Juventus), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO
Mr Al Qassimi is 37 and lives in Dubai
He is a keen drummer and loves gardening
His favourite way to unwind is spending time with his two children and cooking
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The years Ramadan fell in May
Zayed Sustainability Prize
