Young woman quarantined in Hithadhoo tests positive for coronavirus

A young woman under home quarantined in the Hithadhoo district of Addu City has tested positive for the new coronavirus.

Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) identified the new case in Hithadhoo as a 21-year-old Maldivian woman.

She was tested upon completion of the 14-day quarantine period after travelling from Male' City.

The new case follows two cases identified from Hithadhoo on Sunday; a 38-year-old Bangladeshi man and a 58-year-old Maldivian woman. The two previous cases were also identified when they were tested after completing 14 day of home quarantine.

The new case comes shortly after Health Protection Agency (HPA) lifted restrictive measures in Hithadhoo.

The first coronavirus case in Addu was identified from Feydhoo district on Thursday, a 38-year-old Maldivian man, a police officer, who underwent random testing in Male’ before travelling to Addu and undergoing home quarantine.

With the new case on Tuesday, coronavirus cases in Addu City have risen to four.

HPA requires all those who travel from the greater Male’ region to residential islands to undergo 14 days of mandatory quarantine and testing clearing them of the new coronavirus before they are allowed to mingle with the local population.

Several people who have travelled to residential islands from Male’ – which is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases with the relaxation of the lockdown – have tested positive in recent days.

Following the surge in cases, authorities have implemented a temporary ban on travel of persons from Male’ to other residential islands, except those who travel to the capital to access essential services such as healthcare.

Wearing masks when out in public in the greater Male’ region and residential islands with confirmed coronavirus cases is now mandatory, and the wearing of masks in all residential islands, including those with no confirmed cases has been declared highly recommended.

Maldives has 5,157 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 116 new cases recorded on Monday. 2,835 of the patients have since recovered, while 20 have died from complications.

The country now has 2,303 active cases. 145 coronavirus patients are hospitalized.