5 more test positive, increasing total virus cases to 519

Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Saturday, announced that five more people had tested positive for COVID-19, increasing total infections to 519.

According to HPA, the five more to test positive are four Maldivians and one Sri Lankan.

It increases new cases to 28, following the 23 cases reported by HPA earlier this Saturday; 17 Maldivians, four Bangladeshis, one Indian and one Nepali.

While virus cases in Maldives, which a less than a month ago had been in the lower double digits have now surpassed 500, Maldives also recently experienced its first COVID-19 fatality – an 83-year-old woman from Male’.

Since the emergence of a community spread in Male’, the number of people who have tested positive has risen to 519, the majority of who are migrant workers. They include 265 Bangladeshis, 52 Indians, three Pakistanis, three Nepalese, and three Sri Lankans.

Following the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Male’, especially within the migrant community, the Director General of Public Health, earlier this Saturday, ordered for all migrant workers in the Greater Male’ Region who are vulnerable to getting infected with COVID-19 to be quarantined in a facility designation by National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC).

They include; migrant workers who have no established place of employment or accommodation, migrant workers who live in addresses that are being monitored by Maldives Police Service, migrant workers among primary or secondary contacts of confirmed cases who are deemed to be vulnerable, and also migrant workers who do not fall within the aforementioned categories but are deemed to be vulnerable regardless.