Suspected virus cases in 6 residential islands test negative

The Maldivian government, on Thursday, announced that the people who had been placed under isolation for exhibiting symptoms consistent with COVID-19 from six residential islands had all tested negative.

Health Protection Agency (HPA) had confirmed the initiation of testing on seven Maldivian nationals with recent travel histories abroad on Wednesday.

At a press conference held at the National Emergency Operations Center on Thursday afternoon, government spokesperson Mabrook Azeez announced that all seven had tested negative for the virus. They include people from Male’, Vilimale’, Hithadhoo, Hinnavaru, Fainu and Ukulhas.

The two people tested from Hithadhoo and Ukulhas had recently returned from Cochin, India; the person tested from Ukulhas had recently returned from Trivandrum, India; the person tested from Hinnavaru had recently returned from Sri Lanka; the person tested from Vilimale’ has recently returned from South Korea; and the two people tested from Male’ had recently traveled to Bangalore and Sri Lanka, respectively.

In additional to this, the sample taken from a foreign national in Riu Hotels Maldives also tested negative, said Mabrook.

13 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Maldives, all of whom are foreign nationals who were either working or vacationing in resorts or safaris. Of the 13 people, five were from Kuredu Island Resort, two from Sandies Bathala, two from Kuramathi Island Resort, two from Anantara Dhigu, and two from Island Safari-1.

HPA has taken 517 samples for testing so far; 502 of which have tested negative for the virus. The results on 15 samples remain pending.

There are 169 people in isolation facilities; 75 in Hulhule’ Island Hotel, 51 in Fun Island, 25 in Vilivaru, 16 in Velidhoo, and two in Dharumavantha Hospital. There are no people in Farukolhufushi at present.