When the coronavirus began spreading around the world, the island nation of Kiribati closed its borders. That meant the disease did not reach the remote country in the Pacific for nearly two years. Kiribati finally began reopening this month, letting a plane carrying 54 of its citizens to return. Many of those on the plane were religious workers from the Mormon Church. They had left Kiribati before the border closure to spread the church’s teachings in other countries. Officials tested each returning passenger three times in nearby Fiji. They were required to be vaccinated and stay in quarantine with additional testing when they arrived home. The measures were not enough. More than half the passengers tested positive for the virus, which has now spread into the community. The government has declared a state of disaster.