COVID-19

Seven-month old tests positive for COVID-19 in Maldives

A seven-month-old baby has tested positive for COVID-19 in the Maldives. This is the youngest child to become infected with the virus in the archipelago.

Health Protection Agency (HPA) on Friday night revealed the infant is in stable condition.

On Friday, a two-year-old child and a seven-year-old also tested positive for the virus. Previously, a two-year-old child and seven-year-old were also confirmed to have the virus.

Since April 15, a large number of people have been testing positive for COVID-19 in the Maldives, especially in the capital Male’ region. However, compared to last week, the number of people testing positive this week has declined. The most numbers of people tested positive for the virus this week on Friday, with 96 new infections.

A record number of 191 people tested positive for the virus in a single day during the previous week. Health experts have warned that the number of positive cases will further accelerate in the upcoming two weeks. The daily figure is estimated to top 1500 on the peak day.

Three deaths linked to COVID-19 have been recorded in the Maldives – two locals and a Bangladeshi national. The first COVID-19 related death was an 83-year-old woman; the second was a 33-year-old Bangladeshi man. The third death occurred last Thursday night while the patient being treated on a ventilator at the government's main hospital IGMH's extension building, Dharumavantha Hospital ICU. The DH11 intensive care unit (ICU) in the hospital has been specially designated for COVID-19 patients.