President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that medical experts expect the number of COVID-19 cases in the Maldives to surge within the upcoming two weeks.
Addressing the nation on Monday, President Solih said studies and projections showed a potential spread of the pandemic in the Male' area, and said the upcoming days will not be easy. He urged all Maldivian citizens and residents of the country to continue to be aware of their actions and to work together to take all necessary precautions as advised by health officials.
The President said special attention is being given to ensure that the pandemic does not reach more islands within the Maldives. He noted that prohibiting travel between islands is one of the steps taken to ensure this and beseeched the public to strengthen the defence against COVID-19 by giving their full support and assistance to frontline workers.
The President also stated that a large number of expatriate workers in the country are vulnerable to COVID-19 due to overcrowded accommodations and updated the public on the efforts being made towards alleviating these conditions. In this regard, he stated that work is underway to construct better accommodations and that some 3000 expatriate workers would be shifted to the new living quarters during the first phase of this project. He also stated that, following talks with the Bangladeshi Government, 1500 unregistered Bangladeshi citizens would be repatriated to their country in the following week.
551 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Maldives thus far, with one fatality.
