HPA set to release identity of virus patient over refusal to aid in contact tracing

National Emergency Operations Center, on Sunday, announced that one of the people who had tested positive for COVID-19 was refusing to aid in contact tracing, and the authorities were therefore braced to release the identity of the person.

Maldives, after a lull in any cases, now faces a grave shift in the situation with the confirmation of a community spread in the populous capital Male’ City. The first patient from Male’, a 36-year-old Maldivian woman with neither a recent travel history nor link with any previous cases, tested positive on Wednesday, April 15, after she presented herself to a flu clinic. In the five days since then, Male’ has seen a sharp rise in cases and the emergence of different clusters – none of which have been traced back to imported cases.

At a National Emergency Operations Center briefing this afternoon, spokesperson Mabrouq Azeez said one patient from Male’ was refusing to cooperate to aid in contact tracing, and that the contact tracing on the patient in question was being conducted by the police.

“If we fail to secure a sufficient level of cooperation, our Director General will release the identity of the person in question to the press ahead of the briefing scheduled for tonight,” said Mabrouq.

Medical Officer at HPA, Dr. Nazla Rafeeq added that the authorities continued to be engaged in contact tracing.

She said that some patients continued to volunteer details regarding their whereabouts which may have slipped there mind when previously questioned.

HPA has confirmed 16 new cases from Male’ so far this Sunday, increasing virus cases in the capital to 31, and cases nationwide to 51.

The 16 new cases include 13 Bangladeshi nationals linked with an existing cluster – the one linked to patient 27 – a 36-year-old Maldivian woman who tested positive after presenting to a flu clinic with symptoms; two Indian nationals linked with another existing cluster – the one to patient 28 – a 47-year-old Maldivian man who had tested positive after presenting to a flu clinic with symptoms; and another Bangladeshi national, who has yet to be linked with any existing cluster.