COVID-19: Mahibadhoo placed under monitoring

ADh. Mahibadhoo – one of the residential islands open for fully vaccinated travelers without requiring a PCR test – has been placed under monitoring in response to a COVID-19 outbreak. 

ADh. Atoll Hospital’s manager Bunyamin Hassan told Sun Mahibadhoo was placed under monitoring this Thursday after two people in home quarantine in the island, along with several more who had contact with them, tested positive for COVID-19. 

Fully vaccinated travelers are allowed to travel to residential islands that meet a specific set of requirements by Health Protection Agency (HPA). The islands must have a weekly positivity rate below 5 percent, 90 percent of the eligible population above the age of 12 years must be fully vaccinated, 90 percent of the eligible population above the age of 65 years must be fully vaccinated, and 95 percent of guesthouse workers and workers involved in serving tourists must be fully vaccinated. 

Mahibadhoo was one of 88 islands on the updated list of islands that meet the requirements released by HPA earlier this week. 

Mahibadhoo Council's president Rashad Ali told Sun that 10 people from a single family have tested positive, including the two people who had been in home quarantine. 

Rashad said that some of the family members include school students, who attended school and had contact with their classmates. 

Local authorities have initiated random sampling to check if the disease has spread within the larger community. 

This marks the fourth time for Mahibadhoo to be placed under monitoring since the pandemic began.