COVID-19: HPA extends Greater Male' Region lockdown till May 28

Health Protection Agency (HPA) on late Wednesday announced the decision to extend the greater Male' region lockdown for an additional 14 days, as a measure to contain the rapid outbreak of COVID-19 in Maldives.

On April 15, Maldivian authorities placed greater Male' region under lockdown for 24 hours after a Maldivian national living in the capital tested positive for COVID-19. Authorities had extended the lockdown for an additional 24 hours to conduct contact tracing efforts, before extending the lockdown on April 17, for a period of 14 days ending April 30, which was then extended for a further 14 days.

The new directive, in effect from May 14, will place the greater Male’ region including Male', Vilimale' and Hulhumale’ under lockdown until May 28.

The following measures will be in effect under the lockdown:

- No vehicles and persons are allowed on the streets of Male', Vilimale' and Hulhumale'

- Public transport including bus and ferry services between Male', Hulhumale' and Vilimale' are temporary suspended

- No persons are allowed to enter or leave Male', Villimale', Hulhumale', Thilafushi and Gulhifalhu

The above measures are applicable to all with the exception of the following:

- Officials and vehicles of Maldives Police Service and Maldives National Defence Force

- Ambulances

- Healthcare professionals and their vehicles

- Persons holding a pass issued by the National Emergency Operatio Centre (NEOC)

- Media holding a pass issued by the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC)

- Individuals with permits authorized by Maldives Police Service (MPS)

At present, Maldives records a total of 955 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 912 active cases, four fatalities and a total of 40 recoveries.

Maldives declared a state of public health emergency on March 12 after the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized COVID-19 as a global pandemic.

Capital city Malé, one of the most densely populated places in the world, has recorded a significant increase in COVID-19 cases since recording its first local transmission on April 15.

Maldives recorded its first COVID-19 death, of an 83-year-old local female, on April 29. Since, two more individuals, a 33-year-old Bangladeshi man and a local 80-year-old man, have succumbed to the virus.

The new strain of novel coronavirus has infected over 4.4 million people and claimed over 298,100 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, 1.6 million people have recovered.