Three test negative for Covid-19, incl. individuals from Universal ticketing office and Foakaidhoo island
While HPA revealed that samples of three individuals came back negative, it did not provide details of the third person
From a drill held in the capital | Sun Online
Results for the Maldivian patients who were tested for Covid-19 has come back negative.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that samples collected from three individuals “have been tested negative”, on Monday morning.
It added that these samples include two Maldivians, one from Foakaidhoo island of Shaviyani atoll and the other from capital Malé City. HPA did not provide details of the third person.
The individual from Foakaidhoo was transferred to the isolation facility in Farukolhufushi island on Sunday. He is an employee at Kuredu Island Resort where the first two cases of coronavirus were discovered in the country; two more individuals have tested positive from the resort which is on lockdown for a period to be determined by health agencies and experts.
The second individual is an employee at the Universal ticketing office in the capital city, and was tested after having direct contact with the Italian tourist who stayed in Kuredu Island Resort and was found to be positive for the virus upon return home.
This guest is to have stayed in Malé for two days prior to departing to Italy, after being asked to evacuate the flight over Covid-19 like symptoms. The guest had visited the ticketing office during the two-day stay in Malé.
A total of 16 people were placed under self-isolation from the capital; 15 from Maagiri Hotel where the tourist stayed and one from the ticketing office. The latter was taken to the isolation facility for testing on Monday, following symptoms.
Noting that they had learnt all this during contact tracing, the government spokesperson revealed that they are working to determine why these details were not shared with authorities.
Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem has even ordered a criminal investigation into the matter, to determine whether there was any criminal misconduct surrounding the initial spreading of the virus in the Maldives.
Maldives has confirmed six cases of coronavirus since Saturday, all foreigners. However, authorities have not disclosed their nationalities.
Four of the cases are from Kuredu, while the remaining two are from Sandies Bathala resort; restrictive measures have been initiated in Sandies as well, until authorities decide to release the island from its quarantine period.
Earlier on Tuesday, HPA announced that a Maldivian working in Vilamendhoo Island Resort was being transferred to Farukolhufushi for testing and monitoring, with temporary restrictive measures initiated on the island as authorities conduct contact tracing.
