COVID-19: 27 more people test positive in Kandima resort

Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC), on Tuesday, confirmed that an additional 27 individuals tested positive for COVID-19 at Kandima Maldives in Dhaalu Atoll, bringing the total number of active cases in the resort to 46.

According to HEOC, the 27 new cases were identified through the 176 samples collected from the resort, where tourists are still spending their vacations.

Although authorities prohibited movement to and from Kandima Maldives on Saturday evening, tourists at the resort are permitted to depart if they have not come into contact with any of the positive individuals and receive a negative result after a PCR test.

A medical team from Dhaalu Atoll Hospital is currently operating on the resort in order to conduct contact tracing efforts and collect samples.

HEOC previously revealed that efforts were underway to transport high-risk individuals that tested positive to a health facility.

The outbreak in Kandima was only brought to the attention of authorities after a staff member of the resort, aged 60, was transferred to Kudahuvadhoo Hospital in the same atoll for testing. He has since passed away in the sickness, marking the 38th COVID-19 related death in Maldives.

Local media Mihaaru reported that the deceased patient was transferred to Kudahuvadhoo two to three days after he started exhibiting symptoms.

The news outlet further reported rumours that Dhaalu Atoll Hospital tried to send a team of specialists to Kandima upon recieving information that symptomatic cases were present on the island, but the resort refused to cooperate with the health professionals at the time.

The COVID-19 outbreak in Kandima marks the first outbreak of this magnitude in a tourist resort.

The island nation reopened its borders to international passengers on July 15, after nearly four months since the state halted issuing on-arrival visas on March 27. Guesthouses were permitted to resume operations and kick start local tourism on October 15.

The country currently records a total of 11,796 virus cases of which 789 are active cases, in addition to 10,962 recoveries and 38 deaths.

Although the majority of positive cases are recorded in the Greater Male' Region, active virus cases are also present in 13 inhabited islands as well as 31 resorts across the archipelago.