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COVID-19: Guraidhoo, Nolhivaran, Maarandhoo placed under monitoring

Ahmed Aiham
21 April 2020, MVT 10:43
A picture taken atop a guesthouse in Guraidhoo, Kaafu Atoll. The island was placed under monitoring on Monday. PHOTO: HAWWA AMAANY ABDULLA / THE EDITION
Ahmed Aiham
21 April 2020, MVT 10:43

National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) on Monday evening, announced the placement of Guraidhoo, Kaafu Atoll under monitoring, as part of efforts to further curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

The government also placed Maarandhoo in Haa Alif Atoll and Nolhivaran in Haa Dhaalu Atoll under monitoring earlier on the same day.

Health Protection Agency (HPA)'s decision followed contact tracing conducted by the authorities over the ongoing outbreak.

In connection to the positive cases identified in the country, authorities previously placed Uligan, Haa Alif Atoll, under monitoring for additional contact screenings until further notice, along with Haa Alif Atoll's Thuraakunu, Ihavandhoo, Thakandhoo, Hoarafushi, and two islands in Haa Dhaalu Atoll including Hirimaradhoo and Vaikaradhoo. Unauthorized entry and exit, to and from these local islands, is completely prohibited.

During the press conference held at the NEOC, Communications Undersecretary at the President's Office Mabrouq Abdul Azeez stated 945 close contacts had been traced and that a total of 164 residences were under monitoring, out of which 38 were identified on Monday alone.

Furthermore, Mabrouq noted that 95 individuals were penalized for violating curfew protocols.

Maldives' first confirmed case of COVID-19 from the capital city of Male', was recorded on April 15, involving a local woman who presented to the flu clinic in Malé after developing coronavirus-like symptoms. At present, the country has not identified an index patient for the outbreak.

However, the government predicted that community spread of the virus began two to three weeks ago.

As of now, Maldives records 69 confirmed and 53 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 16 recoveries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. The novel coronavirus has infected over 2.4 million people and claimed over 169,338 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than 644,589 people have recovered.

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