Virus positive cases in Male' City includes an airport employee

National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) has confirmed that one of the positive cases in Male’ City included an employee of Velana International Airport.

In a news conference today, government spokesperson Mabrouq Azeez confirmed the news but did not give any further details regarding the case.

Male’ City alone has confirmed eight cases of the virus within three days. 

NEOC Medical Officer, Dr. Nazla Rafeqq said that the contact tracing work on these individuals was currently underway.

The first case of the virus in Male’ City was confirmed on Wednesday. Authorities are still working to determine exactly how Patient 21 (the first case of the virus in the capital) was infected with the virus. It has still not been confirmed who “Patient 0” or the index (original) case in Male’ City is.

Patient 21 was a resident of M. Jareemaage. The next case of the virus, Patient 22, a toddler, was later tested positive and identified as the child of Patient 21. Patient 23, the third case of the virus in the capital, had been in direct contact with Patient 21, according to the HPA. 

Two cases confirmed last night (Patient 24 and Patient 25) were both direct contacts of Patient 23. A further contact of Patient 23, Patient 26 was confirmed earlier today. Two more unrelated cases were also confirmed today. These two most recent cases (Patient 27 and Patient 28) had tested positive after they consulted with the flu clinic in Male’ City.