1st COVID-19 case in Male’: A woman with no recent travel history

Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Wednesday, confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the capital, Male’ City.

Sun has been informed the patient is a middle aged woman who lives in the Maafannu district.

A source close to the patient told Sun she does not have any recent travel history overseas. HPA, too, confirms the patient does not have any recent travel history overseas.

She was tested for the disease after she presented herself to the flu clinic in located near Male' Hiya on Tuesday.

HPA received the test results confirming the case this Wednesday.

The patient has been moved to an isolation facility, while the neighborhood where she resides in has been temporarily locked down as the rapid response team continues to operate in the area to conduct contact tracing.

The new case marks the sixth Maldivian national to test positive for the disease. The previous cases had been; four people who traveled back from the UK, and one who had travelled back from the Philippines.

All five had been identified during mandatory quarantine.