COVID-19: 2 children at Kudakudhinge Hiya test positive

Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) has announced that two children at Kudakundhige Hiya, a state-run children’s shelter in suburban Vilimale’, have tested positive for COVID-19.

In a press conference on Saturday night, HEOC spokesperson and epidemiologist Dr. Nazla Rafeeq said that the test results on the two children came back positive on Friday, October 9.

Health officials have identified 89 contacts in connection to the two cases.

Nazla said that four more individuals in Kudakudhinge Hiya who developed symptoms consistent with COVID-19 were tested on Friday, but that their results came back negative.

She said that 86 additional samples were taken for testing this Saturday.

Meanwhile, two more children at Fiyavathi, a state-shelter located in suburban Hulhumale’, tested positive this Saturday.

The first case at Fiyavathi – a care worker – was identified on September 30. The care worker in question had been working on the floor where boys between the age of 10-13 years are accommodated.

Since then, cases at Fiyavathi have increased to 23. This includes 11 children and 12 staffers – 11 care workers and a senior staffer.