COVID-19 cases in Male’ rises to 14

Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Saturday, announced two more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Male’, increasing cases in Male’ to 14, and cases nationwide to 34.

According to HPA, one of the new patient, referred to as patient 33, is a Maldivian national, and a direct contact of patient 28.

And the second patient, patient 34, is a Maldivian national and a direct contact of patient 27.

Both patients are being moved to an isolation facility.

Both patient 27 and patient 28 were identified on Friday. HPA has previously stated that both were part of separate clusters – unrelated to first cluster identified in Male’ on Wednesday.

The first and largest cluster is the one linked to the first person to test positive for COVID-19 in Male’ – patient 21 – who had neither a recent travel history overseas nor contact with any other previous cases. The second to test positive- patient 22 - is a toddler – the child of patient 21. The third to test positive – patient 23 – was a direct contact of patient 21 but had presented symptoms before her. Patient 24, 25 and 26 are direct contacts of patient 23.

The second cluster is linked to patient 27, and includes patient 29, patient 30 and patient 33 – all direct contacts of patient 27. It also includes patient 32, a Bangladeshi national who is a direct contact of patient 30.

The third cluster is linked with patient 28, and includes patient 31 and patient 33.