Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

World

Easter Island welcomes back tourists post-pandemic

Chile’s Easter Island officially reopened to the world Monday after more than two years of coronavirus closure.  

The stone statues of Easter Island
The stone statues of Easter Island - Copyright AFP Sam PANTHAKY
The stone statues of Easter Island - Copyright AFP Sam PANTHAKY

Chile’s Easter Island, a popular Pacific Ocean tourist destination, officially reopened to the world Monday after more than two years of coronavirus closure.

The first flight with tourists — many with bookings made before the pandemic — was due to touch down on Thursday, tourism official Veronica Kunze told reporters.

“We have to open the island, but we have to do it safely,” she added.

Arrivals must be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, and show a negative PCR test.

The island, located 3,500 kilometers west of the coast of Chile, is world-famous for its “moais,” huge stone statues in human form partially buried in the Earth.

The island’s main source of revenue was domestic and international tourism before flights were grounded on March 16, 2020, following the first reported cases of coronavirus in Chile.

Easter Island used to receive some 160,000 tourists per year, arriving on two flights daily.

In the two years without tourists, islanders resorted to bartering and planting their own vegetable gardens, officials said.

The island has reported only two coronavirus cases, with no hospitalizations or deaths.

The reopening will be gradual, with some two flights a week at first, said Kunze.

The local hospital had been reinforced, she added, and now boasts an isolation unit as well as a PCR laboratory.

AFP
Written By

With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

You may also like:

Tech & Science

A new free app is helping Canadians verify whether the products they buy are made in Canada.

Life

The opioid epidemic costs the U.S. over $1.5 trillion annually, overloading hospitals, public health systems, and law enforcement.

Business

The feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman has become one of the bitterest rivalries in business history.

Tech & Science

The new National Cyber Security Strategy focuses on a “whole-of-society and agile approach to protecting our nation’s cyber security”