Commemorations of the May 5, 1821 death of Napoleon are going ahead on St. Helena, the remote South Atlantic island where the deposed French emperor died in exile. But they are not happening with an influx of international visitors that was expected before COVID-19 swept across the world. While the volcanic island has not had any confirmed COVID-19 cases, reaching it got even harder because of travel restrictions during the pandemic. St. Helena lies about 1,930 kilometers (1,200 miles) west of the border between Angola and Namibia, the nearest mainland. A heritage group dedicated to preserving Napoleon’s memory on the island plans several bicentenary events.
