Coronavirus secrets of the Faroes
Original reporting on the coronavirus pandemic's impact on the Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands has managed to test nearly 10% of its population for coronavirus and no one has died from the disease so far. Its virus strategy was undoubtedly helped by its remote location but the main reason for the rapid response is a surprising one: the humble salmon.
Despite lying 300km north of Scotland in the middle of the Atlantic, the Faroe Islands has not managed to avoid the reach of the coronavirus outbreak. But its method of mass-testing, tracing and quarantining suspected cases has paid off in a big way.
The Faroe Islands is one of only five European countries – with Georgia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, and Malta – that has not recorded any coronavirus deaths as of 6 April. It also leads the way in the percentage of the population tested.
Nearly 10% of the roughly 50,000 people that inhabit the islands has been tested for coronavirus, which has allowed the authorities to identify a total of 183 cases and track anyone who came into contact with infected patients.