As the regional government of Kerala declared the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak a state calamity on Tuesday following the third confirmed case, the Maldivian government urged all Maldivian citizens residing in the Indian state to register at the Maldivian embassy.
Kerala is one of the top destinations among Maldivians to visit for medical purposes.
All three individuals that tested positive for the virus were students that recently returned from Wuhan City, the Chinese city in which the outbreak originated.
Kerala has placed an additional 80 people who came in direct contact with the three confirmed patients under observation at hospitals and isolation wards.
According to local media outlet Mihaaru, Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Director of Communication Miuvan Mohamed stated that the request for Maldivians living abroad to register at diplomatic missions was a precaution as the Coronavirus has spread to several neighbouring countries. He added that registration would allow Maldivian embassies and high commissions to conveniently provide any necessary assistance if the need should arise.
Miuvan assured that information collected via Maldives' embassies and high commissions in foreign countries would be kept confidential.
China reported an additional 64 fatalities on Tuesday, raising the death toll to 425, with more than 20,000 infections across the world.