Coronavirus: seven Maldivians test negative

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revealed that the seven Maldivians who were monitored under suspicion of being infected with the novel coronavirus, have tested negative to the disease.

The first case surfaced when a 20-year-old fitting the surveillance criteria for a suspected case of 2019 novel coronavirus showed symptoms after arriving from China last week. As such, the individual was kept in isolation for investigation and treatment at the quarantine facility established in Funadhoo, Kaafu atoll.

This morning, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih revealed that the laboratory results of the blood samples sent to Pune, India, turned negative to the infectious disease.

A statement by the HPA revealed that six others were under monitoring and their blood samples also tested negative to the virus.

After the test results came through, HPA revealed that they are no longer under surveillance and monitoring.

As such, one Maldivian who travelled from China, four Maldivians who travelled from China and reported with acute respiratory symptoms but not fitting the surveillance criteria of a suspected case and two other Maldivians who travelled from China have been released from quarantine.

Currently, no cases are under surveillance and monitoring for novel coronavirus, revealed the agency.

During his presidential address on Monday morning, President Solih revealed that Maldives is still at risk of a coronavirus outbreak and that the government is working with all relevant stakeholders with a mutual aim to curb the disease from surfacing in the country, and are closely following the recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO). The president also established a special task force following the WHO having declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern.

The epidemic began from Wuhan City, China in December 2019 and it has so far killed over 360 people and infected over 17,000 globally.