COVID-19 cases in Maldives surpasses 500-mark

Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Saturday, announced 23 more people had tested positive for COVID-19, increasing virus cases nationwide to 514.

The 23 new cases include 17 Maldivians, four Bangladeshis, one Indian and one Nepali.

While virus cases in Maldives, which a month ago had been in the lower double digits have now surpassed 500, Maldives also recently experienced its first COVID-19 fatality – an 83-year-old woman from Male’

Since the emergence of a community spread in Male’, the number of people who have tested positive has risen to 514, the majority of who are migrant workers. They include 265 Bangladeshis, 52 Indians, three Pakistanis, three Nepalese, and two Sri Lankans.

Following the rapid spread of COVID-19 within the migrant community, the Director General of Public Health, earlier this Saturday, ordered for all migrant workers in the Greater Male’ Region who are vulnerable to getting infected with COVID-19 to be quarantined in a facility designation by National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC).

They include; migrant workers who have no established place of employment or accommodation, migrant workers who live in addresses that are being monitored by Maldives Police Service, migrant workers among primary or secondary contacts of confirmed cases who are deemed to be vulnerable, and also migrant workers who do not fall within the aforementioned categories but are deemed to be vulnerable regardless.