On the Galapagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean, serious health problems are so rare that hospitals there were not equipped with intensive care areas. Then, the new coronavirus arrived. Now, officials are racing to equip medical teams on the distant islands with breathing machines called ventilators. But, they also are trying to deal with an economic crisis that has left many of the 30,000 islanders jobless. The island group’s famous isolation, which was so important to the theories of naturalist Charles Darwin, has increased its hardship. For nearly two months, not a single tourist has visited the area. The Galapagos are considered a World Heritage site by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Studies of the islands’ ocean and bird wildlife have halted. People living there are making urgent changes, like growing carrots, peppers and tomatoes at home to increase the food supply.

What is something the Galapagos Islands are known for?
ocean and bird wildlife
tall skyscrapers
the paper industry
cruise ships
How many tourists have visited the Galapagos Islands over the past two months?
0
10
50
100
The isolation of the Galapagos Islands was important to the theories of Charles Darwin.
Albert Einstein
Charles Darwin
Marie Curie
Isaac Newton