UK 'bracing' for coronavirus crisis in Malvinas Islands

As the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in the UK rises to 1,019, the British government is also increasingly worried about the spread of the COVID-19 disease to British colonies and overseas territories.  

Of greatest concern to the British establishment is the occupied Malvinas Islands, which the British call Falkland Islands.

Situated in the South Atlantic Ocean (just over 480 km from the Argentine coast), the Malvinas Islands is claimed by Argentina which argues the UK has illegally occupied the archipelago since 1833.

Bracing for the worst 

Sky News is reporting that the Malvinas Islands is bracing for its “first cases” of COVID-19 – the disease caused by the coronavirus - later this week.

According to Sky News, a child is “critically ill” with suspected COVID-19 and is currently receiving treatment at a small hospital in Stanley, the capital of the occupied Malvinas Islands.

Sky News quotes a member of the occupied Malvinas Islands’ Legislative Assembly, Leona Roberts, of complaining of being “blind” in the current situation.

“We don’t know whether we have the virus here. There is very strong suspicion that we do … We have a child who was hospitalized with suspected coronavirus”, Roberts claimed.

The population of occupied Malvinas Islands – which numbers around 3,400 – is believed to be especially vulnerable to COVID-19, primarily due to the number of old people in poor health.

According to Sky News, a “sixth” of the population is over 70 years of age with underlying health conditions.

Political & diplomatic angle 

Despite its political animosity towards the UK, Argentina has nonetheless offered support to the embattled islanders, in the form of food shipments and medical supplies.

Argentine foreign minister, Felipe Sola, has said Buenos Aires can even provide medical care for infected patients.

Its offer of support notwithstanding, the health crisis looming in the occupied Malvinas Islands is potentially a diplomatic and even strategic gain for Argentina.

The coronavirus crisis has shown that London will find it hard to safeguard the health and safety of the islanders despite stationing 1,300 troops there supported by hundreds of contractors.