Coronavirus cases in Kelaa rise to 10

Nine more people have tested positive for the new coronavirus from H. A. Kelaa, increasing coronavirus cases in the island to 10.

The cases in Kelaa are linked to Savaari, a passenger boat which travels between Kelaa and Male’ City – the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Maldives.

The first to test positive was the captain of the boat, on Tuesday, prompting Health Protection Agency (HPA) to place the island under monitoring and restrict travel in and out of the island as it tested other crew members and passengers of the boat.

Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) spokesperson and epidemiologist Dr. Nazla Rafeeq said during a press conference on Thursday that nine more people linked with the Savaari Boat case have tested positive.

“The boat travelled to H. A. Kelaa on July 24, after a two-week stop in Male’. The first to test positive was the boat’s captain,” she said.

Nazla said the HPA is working on testing more people identified as contacts of the new patients.

According to Kelaa Council vice president Aminath Ismail, the nine new cases are eight crew members and one passenger.

Maldives recorded 152 new cases this Thursday, marking the biggest single-day surge of coronavirus cases to be recorded since the community spread began in the country.

142 of the new cases were identified from the greater Male’ region, while the remaining 10 were identified from the atolls; the nine people from Kelaa linked with the Savaari Boat case and one individual in home quarantine in B. Kamadhoo.

Maldives now has 3,719 confirmed coronavirus cases. 2,568 patients have since recovered, while 16 have died from complications. The latest fatality was recorded earlier this Thursday.