Health Protection Agency (HPA), confirmed on Thursday that samples taken from nine individuals in capital city Male', tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the agency, the additional cases included four Maldivians and five Bangladeshi nationals.
Reportedly, HPA is in the process of transferring the locals to an isolation facility.
The latest development places the number of cases in Male' City, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, at a grim 64. Out of these, 30 are expatriates.
An additional 9 cases of four Maldivians and five Bangladesh nationals have been confirmed from Malé.
— Health Protection Agency (@HPA_MV) April 23, 2020
The individuals will be moved to an Isolation Facility. #StayHome #StaySafe
Maldives' first confirmed case of COVID-19 within 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.
HPA placed the greater Male' region under lockdown for 24 hours after the case was confirmed. Authorities extended the measures for a 14-day period on April 16 after new cases surfaced.
Although an index patient for the outbreak was not identified, the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC)'s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Monday, predicted that community spread of the virus began two to three weeks ago.
As of now, Maldives records 94 confirmed, 2 probable and 76 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 2.6 million people and claimed over 180,000 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than 720,000 people have recovered.
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