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Foreigner who worked in Maldives tests positive for COVID-19

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revealed that a foreign national who recently worked at two resorts in the Maldives have tested positive for COVID-19.

HPA said the foreigner tested positive after returning to his home country. The person departed from Maldives on 31st March, and reports that he tested positive for the virus were received on Monday. The foreigner had worked at Joali Maldives and Raa Bodufushi resort since October prior to his departure from the Maldives.

While it is unknown if he contracted the virus in his home country or during travel, it is also likely that he may have contracted the virus in the Maldives. Therefore, both resorts have now been placed on monitoring status and contact tracing is now ongoing, said HPA.

Government spokesperson on COVID-19 related matters, Mabrook Azeez said the person was allowed to depart from the Maldives as he had not displayed any symptoms of the virus at the time of departure.

Maldives has recorded 19 confirmed cases of COVID-19 thus far. Out of these, six cases are currently active, while the remaining patients have recovered from the illness. Two active cases are of foreigners who have already departed from the Maldives, and the remaining four are all locals who returned to the archipelago from the United Kingdom.