Pacific island Palau confirms its first COVID case

Palau: The tiny Island state of Palau in the western Pacific Ocean has reported its first coronavirus case, while authorities said it poses no transmission risk.

Though Palau's economy is heavily reliant on tourism, the archipelago has so far managed to avoid a single case of covid- 19 by closing all borders.

As per the updates from the Health Ministry, a traveller who arrived in Palau earlier this month was found to have infected with the virus, though he tested negative once before departing for the island and twice during a two-week quarantine.

"Further tests revealed that this is a historical -- past infection -- the case of Covid-19, and it is not infectious," it said in a statement.

As a precautionary measure, the person is now placed in isolation and close contacts are being traced down to prevent further transmission of the virus.

However, authorities refused to release any details about the patient, citing privacy concerns.