The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has warned the public to stay vigilant as the number of COVID-19 cases are expected to rise over the next few days.
Speaking at NEOC's daily press conference on Friday night, Dr. Ibrahim Afzal said while several positive cases have been identified since the first case of local transmission was identified in Male' city ten days ago, the number of positive cases are likely to increase in the coming days.
Dr. Afzal said symptoms of COVID-19 typically develop within 14 days of infection, and that sometimes asymptomatic cases are also recorded. Therefore, while the likelihood that the disease may be transmitted through asymptomatic people are high, every person must take care not to leave their homes and stay inside, said the doctor.
"We believe several new cases will be identified in the upcoming days. This virus has an incubation period of approximately 14 days. That means symptoms will appear anytime between 2-14 days from the day of infection. Sometimes, some people do not exhibit any symptoms at all, but they are still infectious. These are things we must take into consideration. Even if the lockdown is lifted, it will take time to return to our previous normal," said Dr. Afzal.
Dr. Afzal added that even if the lockdown is lifted, precautionary measures, personal hygiene and social distancing must continue to be practiced, as the virus is still expected to be around for a couple of months. If such precautions are ignored, there is a chance of the virus re-surging one again in full force, warned the doctor.
129 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Maldives thus far. This includes 60 locals and 68 foreigners. 18 people tested positive for the virus on Friday, and one case has been identified thus far on Saturday. The total number of infections identified in the capital is now 108.
