Thinadhoo placed under monitoring mechanisms for a third time

GDh. Thinadhoo has been reverted back to monitoring status after recording a random COVID-19 case on the island – less than a month after the island was removed from monitoring mechanisms.

Health Protection Agency (HPA) had stated that Thinadhoo was placed under monitoring mechanisms again yesterday. This is the third time the island has been brought under monitoring mechanisms.

Speaking to Sun today, Thinadhoo Council Member Mohamed Zaleef Abdulla had detailed that the case was discovered through a random sample – which is of a school student.

“The student is a 6^th grader. The student’s family had also tested positive along with the students – that is why the island was placed under monitoring again,” he had said.

Zaleef also added that the island had been placed under monitoring at a time the residents were preparing to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the island’s repopulation. He also noted that following this case, contact tracing on the island has begun as well.

“The student had not traveled anywhere outside of the island. So, it is not clear how the child had gotten infected. But the test was done when the child began exhibiting symptoms,” he had said,

Managing Director of Thinadhoo’s Abdul Samad Memorial Hospital Ahmed Saeed had told Sun that as the child is a student – they are also conducting contact tracing at the school as well.

He also noted that there are six active cases on the island at present. All six cases were discovered from people who were already undergoing home quarantine.

Thinadhoo was first placed under monitoring mechanisms on February 7 – after which monitoring mechanisms were lifted after 10 days on February 17. The island was placed under monitoring mechanisms for a second time on March 24 – after which monitoring mechanisms were lifted after three months on July 25. During this time, the island saw a community spread where a large number of people had tested positive.