Summer Island Resort has been placed on lockdown after two French tourists holidaying on the island exhibited symptoms of COVID-19.
Health Protection Agency (HPA) on Saturday said the two tourists will be transferred to quarantine facilities at the earliest. No persons will be allowed to enter or get off the island for now.
The island has been placed on lockdown as per the policy currently being followed in managing the COVID-19 outbreak affecting the globe. HPA will be placing all islands with suspected cases on lockdown until the results of the involved persons are received.
Kuredu Island Resort and V. Thinadhoo have also been placed under lockdown. Entry and exit from Thinadhoo was restricted after an Italian tourist at the island displayed symptoms of COVID-19. Kuredu Island was placed on lockdown after it was reported that an Italian tourist who had recently holidayed at the island tested positive to COVID-19 after he returned to Italy. Work is currently underway to identify those who had been in contact with the infected tourist. While a doctor employed at the island has also exhibited symptoms of the virus, the man has been transferred to Farukolhufushi quarantine facility.
The government has temporarily suspended all arrivals from Italy as a precautionary measure.
While over 100,000 people have been infected with the virus across the globe, over 4000 people have been infected in Italy. Italy records the second-most number of deaths due to the virus, with a death toll of almost 200.
The government has also placed entry restrictions on those arriving from China and parts of South Korea. The restriction on those arriving from China was imposed on February 2, while a similar restriction on those arriving from Iran was placed on February 26. The decision to barr entry to tourists arriving from South Korean destinations was announced last week.
Additionally, all inbound flights arriving from China have been indefinitely suspended.
