Police asked to investigate COVID-19 fatality linked with Kandima Maldives

Director General of Public Health Maimoona Aboobakr has asked Maldives Police Service for a criminal investigation into the death of an employee of Kandima Maldives from COVID-19.

The employee, a 60-year-old Maldivian male, was transported to the regional hospital in Dh. Kudahuvadhoo for emergency treatment on October 30. He passed away the same night, and tests conducted on him came back positive for COVID-19.

His death marked Maldives’ 38th COVID-19 related death, and led to the discovery of a cluster in Kandima, a resort island located in Dh. Atoll.

The case has sparked allegations of negligence against the management of the resort.

In a press conference on Thursday night, Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) spokesperson Dr. Nazla Rafeeq said a team from the Health Ministry travelled to Kandima on Monday to investigate how COVID-19 spread in the island.

The team also visited the regional hospital in Kudahuvadhoo to clarify information from officials, before turning to Male’ earlier this Thursday, and presenting their findings to the Director General of Public Health.

Nazla said that the Director General of Public Health, after examining the findings, submitted the case to the police for further investigation on Thursday night.

50 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Kandima, including 30 who tested positive on Tuesday. According to Nazla, the 30 later cases include employees, and one guest who was tested prior to departure.

Kandima has been under monitoring by Health Protection Agency (HPA) since Sunday, with restrictions on travel in and out of the island.

Nazla said that tourists are not allowed to travel out of the island unless they are cleared of any contact with a positive case, and undergo testing.