Health Protection Agency (HPA) has stated that 14 people exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 in Male' city have been identified and placed in isolation.
HPA said all 14 people had come in contact with the patient 21, the first case of local transmission identified in the Maldives. They have been placed in isolation at the Hulhule Isolation Centre, and testing arrangements are currently underway, said HPA.
The first person who has been tested positive for the virus in Male' did not have any recent travel history, and how she contracted the virus remains unknown. However, work is ongoing to identify the original source of infection, and other people who may have been infected.
However, work is still ongoing to trace the origin of the infection and other people who may have been infected by the patient.
On late Wednesday, the patient’s one year old child tested positive for the virus. Both are currently placed in isolation facilities. Samples were taken from 10 other people from the patient's residence, out of which one more tested positive during the early hours of Thursday.
Two houses in Male’ have been placed under lockdown, including the residence of the patient. A home in the southernmost city, Addu and Male’ atoll Kaashidhoo island have also been placed in lockdown for contact tracing.
Considering that this is a community spread of the disease in the Male’ region, the alert level in Male city has been changed to ‘red’. Furthermore, the government has imposed further stringent measures, and a 24-hour lockdown has been placed in the Male' area.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih addressed the nation on Wednesday and urged the citizens to stay home and comply with the instructions given by authorities. In his emotional address, the president pleaded the citizens to be patient, compassionate, empathetic, to be brave, and to lend helping hands to others at this crucial time.
