Pandemics Upends Life on Galapagos Islands

Ecuador is among Latin American nations hit hardest by COVID-19, and authorities on the Galapagos Islands believe their first cases probably came from Guayaquil, the coastal city where hospitals turned away patients and the dead were left in homes for days. Galapagos is the land of evolution and steady stream of international tourism kept the islands afloat. Last year over 275,000 people came to see the swimming iguanas, giant tortoises and birds with webbed feet the color of blue cotton candy. For seven weeks, not a single tourist has arrived at the UNESCO World Heritage site. Studies of the archipelago’s unique marine and avian wildlife have halted. The islands’ first four cases were diagnosed in late March, all believed to have come from Guayaquil before travel was cut off. There are now about 110 cases in Galapagos, including about 50 crew members still aboard the luxury ship. Authorities have scrambled to equip hospitals, where there are only four ICU beds and a lab to do virus tests. The biggest blow has been to tourism. At least 800 visitors usually arrive daily, and the officials estimate the islands have lost at least $50 million, a quarter of the expected annual income. Already-high prices in supermarkets have skyrocketed. The islands largely rely on cargo ships, which have been slower to arrive. If the ships stop coming, it will be a chaos. Scientists have also seen their work analyzing the Galapagos’ wildlife abruptly interrupted. The islands have a rich history of scientific investigation and discovery. How soon the Galapagos Islands might be able to reopen is unclear. Ecuador’s government is allowing for a gradual opening in three stages. But the final stage is not a full return to normal and does not call for resuming national or international flights.