HEOC will not judge, appeals for complete contact tracing information

Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) has appealed to the public for full cooperation in contact tracing after raising concern regarding mis information.

In a press conference last night, HEOC spokesperson Dr. Nazla Rafeeq, said that contact tracing was the best and most important way to control the spread of the pandemic virus. 

She requested everyone to fully comply with contact tracing when contacted for the purpose. 

“We are not here to judge anyone. How they behaved. Our aim is to identify all of the contacts of that individual in order to stop the spread of the virus.” Said Dr. Nazla.

She noted that authorities have noticed misinformation provided to contact tracing by some individuals. This was only realized after a new positive case is connected with a prior positive case during contact tracing. 

Dr Nazla said, “If we had been provided that information in the first place, we could quarantine the individuals, register the contacts, quarantine them, and conduct sample collection as well. The exposure of the virus to others would be reduced.” 

She called on the public to provide complete information for contact tracing and to refrain from misinforming the authorities regarding a virus that has infected more than 3,000 individuals in the Maldives.