Reported Covid-19 patient from UAE is not Maldivian: authorities
UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention announced that a Maldivian patient was among the 50 new cases confirmed in the country on March 24
Mohamed Mabrook Aziz
Reports of a Maldivian testing positive to coronavirus in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is false.
This was revealed by the government’s Covid-19 spokesperson, Mohamed Mabrook Aziz, at a press conference held on Saturday night.
Earlier on Saturday, Mabrook revealed that they had received the name of the reported Maldivian patient and noted that the name ‘sounded more eastern European’.
UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention announced that a Maldivian patient was among the 50 new cases confirmed in the country on March 24, adding that the new cases “are among individuals who had close contact with cases announced previously, as well as people who returned from abroad”.
The first Maldivian patient was confirmed on Friday.
Health Minister Abdulla Ameen made the announcement at a press conference on Friday evening, highlighting that a 38-year-old man that returned to Maldives on March 22 tested positive for Covid-19. He is to have developed symptoms on March 25, and a test was done the next day.
There has been a total of 16 confirmed Covid-19 cases from the country since March 7, including the two Italians whose test results came back after they departed the country. They were allowed to travel with over 300 other Italians, with authorities saying that neither had shown any symptoms.
