Screening test on Uligan resident comes back positive for COVID-19

 National Emergency Operations Center, on Sunday, announced that the first sample taken from a person in H. A. Uligan had tested positive for COVID-19.

At a National Emergency Operations Center briefing this afternoon, spokesperson Mabrouq Azeez said the screening test was being followed up with a confirmation test.

Dr. Nazla Rafeeq, Medical Officer at Health Protection Agency (HPA), said the person who tested positive from the screening test was a resident of Uligan.

The person in questioned had returned to Uligan on April 15 via boat, following a short trip to Male’, said Dr. Nazla.

The boat had also carried passengers to other islands located in H. A. Atoll and H. Dh. Atoll.

Dr. Nazla said the boat in question has been quarantined, and that HPA was tracking the people who disembarked to other islands, and imposing monitoring measures on the islands.

As such, monitoring measures have been imposed on Uligan, Ihavandhoo, Nolhivaranfaru, Thuraakunu and Vaikaradhoo.

If the person tests positive from the confirmation test, it will mark the first time for virus cases to appear in a residential island outside of the capital, Male’ – where cases have risen to 31.