Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revealed that the effectiveness of the lockdown imposed on Male' city as a precautionary measure against COVID-19 can only be accurately assessed after an additional 14 days.
In a news brief held by National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), HPA’s epidemiologist Dr Nazla Refeeq said the cases identified in the capital until now are believed to have contracted the virus prior to the lockdown being imposed. Therefore, the effectiveness of the lockdown can only be measured two weeks from now, said Dr. Nazla. She assured that all possible measures to combat the virus are now in effect, and there are no further actions that can be taken at the moment.
“There is no magic bullet in this pandemic situation. There is nothing else that we can be done to contain the spread of the virus. All effective preventive measures have already been imposed - that is, the early detection of the infected cases and promptly isolating them’, said Dr Nazla.
Dr. Nazla said there are some people who had gone to work despite displaying symptoms of the virus. She urged the public not to go to work if any symptoms of flu are present, and instructed such persons to self-isolate, or visit the flu clinic.
Along with the 25 people who have tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours, the total number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the Maldives reach 110.
The first case of local transmission was detected in the Maldives 45 days after the detection of the first case of COVID-19 from a resort. The numbers have been rising rapidly since then. Male region has been placed a 14-day lockdown as a measure to contain the spread of the virus, and travel between the islands has also been suspended along with several other restrictions.
