What is worrying the authorities is that the four new cases have been discovered in the remote Strait Island where the tribe is based. “The Great Andamanese are a small population but they are in touch with the general population. While no one is allowed to visit Strait Island, they are allowed to come and stay in Port Blair. By 1901, their population had dropped to 625, and by the 1931 Census, only 90 Great Andamanese were left. All of them are housed in an isolation facility and regularly tested.”The Andamans is home to five PVTGs, the Sentinelese, Jarawa, Great Andamanese, Onge and Shompen.

Source: Indian Express August 27, 2020 22:30 UTC