Nolhivaram placed under ‘monitoring’ by health officials

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has imposed restrictions on travel in and out of Nolhivaram, a residential island located in H. Dh. Atoll.

A spokesperson from HPA who spoke to Sun said Nolhivaram was placed under “monitoring” by the agency in connection to the coronavirus case on board the H. A. Ihavandhoo cargo boat Thahth, which transports cargo from Male’ City to islands in the north.

Islands placed under “monitoring” have restrictions placed on them, including a ban on travel in and out of the island unless with special authorization from HPA.

The spokesperson said that the restrictions will remain in place in Nolhivaram until health officials complete contact tracing on the crew member of Thahth Boat who tested positive for the new coronavirus.

The crew member of Thahth Boat who tested positive has been identified as a 41-year-old Maldivian man. He tested positive on Sunday, and is one of three crew members of boats from Ihavandhoo who have tested positive for the new coronavirus over the last one-week period. The other two cases are linked with Boat 242, a passenger boat which travels between Ihavandhoo and Male'. The first crew member, a cashier, tested positive on Friday, and another crew member tested positive this Monday.

Coronavirus cases have surged with the relaxation of the lockdown on Male’ – the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Maldives – in July. More than 860 people have tested positive over the last one-week period alone.

Maldives has 4,164 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 215 new cases recorded on Sunday – marking the biggest single-day spike in coronavirus cases to be recorded in the country. 2,643 patients have since recovered, while 18 have died from complications.

The country currently has 1,489 active cases. 84 of the coronavirus patients are hospitalized.