Minister of Home Affairs, Sheikh Imran Abdulla has tested positive for the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The minister provided samples for coronavirus testing on July 28 and his sample returned positive for the infection on Thursday.

Sources report that the home minister had been unwell prior to testing.

The minister has completed both doses of the Covid-19 vaccination.

There have been other government officials who tested positive for Covid-19 since it surfaced in the Maldives on 7 March 2020, including First Lady Fazna Ahmed, Vice President Faisal Naseem, Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail.

The home minister has tested positive for the infection at a time positivity rate has been plunging over recent weeks and the health authorities have been successful in controlling an intense fourth wave, which saw daily number spiking above 1,000 since late April.

However, due to stringent measures implemented by the government to help curb the spread including a curfew and partial lockdown, daily case numbers have been reported low over recent weeks, especially in the populous capital city of Malé, deemed the Covid-19 epicenter of Maldives.