U.S. officials have been forced to temporarily prohibit all travel to the remote outpost because of a Covid outbreak at an American scientific research facility in Antarctica.

Over the weekend, more steps were made to help contain the epidemic by the National Science Foundation, which runs McMurdo Station on the southernmost point of Ross Island in Antarctica.

“Consistent with the U.S. National Science Foundation’s commitment to balance research and operational needs while containing the spread of Covid cases in Antarctica, NSF is implementing a pause on all travel to the continent for the next two weeks, effective immediately, while we reassess the situation,” agency officials said in a statement released Saturday.

According to the government, the temporary prohibition does not apply to necessary travel due to health and safety concerns. For the sake of the station’s population, a medical clinic is situated there.

The organization verified that during the most recent outbreak, 10% of the population at the research station tested positive for Covid. At the moment, 885 people are employed and reside at McMurdo Station.

KN-95 masks will be made available to residents, according to the government, which “strongly recommends” that they use them at all times.

Even though the station is open all year, many researchers go to McMurdo around November to do fieldwork throughout the summer months in Antarctica. The outbreak’s potential effects on the outpost’s activities and research are still unknown.

Visitors to McMurdo are required to obtain a bivalent booster shot, and those who are at high risk for Covid are screened out, even though most of the tighter Covid regulations from the previous two years — including quarantines, charter flights, and numerous PCR tests — have been loosened.