Three additional positive cases for COVID-19 have been identified in the capital Male’ , bringing the total number of cases in Male' to 15. This is the seventh positive case to be identified over the past 24 hours.
The first case of COVID-19 (MAV21) was detected in Male' city on Wednesday, after a woman with no recent travel history, and no direct links to a positive case presented herself to the Senahiya Flu Clinic with symptoms of the infection. Authorities say the patient had over 200 direct contacts over a span of five days, out of which 75 are high risk contacts.
Since then, MAV22 and MAV23, both being direct contacts of MAV21 tested positive for the virus, and three direct contacts of MAV23 (MAV 24, 25, 26) have also tested positive for the virus. However, cases MAV27 and 28 are not known to be linked to any previous cases, and believed to be from two seperate, new clusters. MAV29 and 30 both are direct contacts of MAV27, while newer case MAV31 is linked to MAV28, and MAV32, a Bangladeshi national married to a Maldivian, is linked to MAV30.
Two additional new positive case were confirmed on Saturday evening. MAV33 is a direct contact of MAV28, and MAV34 was in direct contact with MAV27. The most recent case, MAV35 is not known to be linked to any previous patients. The HPA is currently working to identify and establish any links between MAV35 and the previous cases.
The average daily contacts of Maldivian patients exceeds the global average. Authorities believe over 100 unidentified positive cases could exist in the capital. While the capital city has been placed on a strict 14-day lockdown, inter-island travel has also been banned. The index case that led to local transmission has not been identified thus far.
Healthcare workers active in the capital Male'
