Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Saturday, ordered that all high-risk expatriate workers in the Greater Male' area be placed under quarantine, in facilities allocated by the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).
According to an announcement by The Director-General of Public Health Maimoona Aboobakur, the order was issued as a containment measure to reduce the community spread of COVID-19. In that regard, expatriate workers were identified as one of the most vulnerable groups, with a high probability of exposure to the virus.
Expatriate workers in capital Male', neighbouring Vilimale' and reclaimed suburb Hulhumale' will be quarantined under this order.
This includes documented and undocumented immigrants who do not have accommodation, are living in addresses currently being monitored by Maldives Police Service, have come into direct or secondary contact with any identified COVID-19 cases or have room to believe they were exposed to the virus in any way.
The Director-General requested full cooperation from all relevant authorities in implementing the aforementioned measures.
At the time of this announcement, 319 expatriate workers have tested positive for COVID-19, consisting of nearly 65 percent of the total cases identified in Maldives. Out of the 319 individuals, 261 are Bangladesh nationals.
The disease has disproportionately affected the country's large expatriate population, the majority of whom are Bangladeshi nationals and live in highly congested quarters where it is impossible to reduce contact or exercise social distancing.
On April 21, relevant authorities launched monitoring operations centred around the living quarters of expatriate workers, having acknowledged that the congested nature of such zones placed these foreign nationals at a significantly higher risk of contracting the virus.
Following the first confirmed local transmission on April 15, Malé has recorded a significant increase in COVID-19 cases. The city is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
In addition to the capital, COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Uligan in Haa Alif Atoll, Narudhoo and Milandhoo in Shaviyani Atoll, and Thulusdhoo in Kaafu Atoll.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. The new strain of novel coronavirus has infected over 3.4 million people and claimed over 239,823 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than a million people have recovered.
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