Covid-19: Maldives pres. shares situation with WHO chief, requests help in procuring "essential items"

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih spoke to Dr. Tedros Adhanom, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), on Wednesday.

The President’s Office said that the two spoke via telephone.

During the conversation with Dr. Tedros, President Solih gave an overview of the situation in Maldives and emphasized that “out of the 19 cases thus far documented in the country, there has been no community spread”.

The president further outlined the various measures taken by the government in order to stop the virus’s spread, which includes declaring a state of public health emergency on March 12 as well as measures such as imposing travel restrictions such as banning flights from high risk countries, prohibiting travel between resorts and inhabited islands, restricting on arrival visas, and the requirement for all Maldivians returning from abroad to be quarantined for a two week period.

While he noted that the Maldives has not seen any community spread cases, Solih highlighted that the preparations initiated since January “include scenarios in which there is a sudden surge in patients”.

Noting that these preparations involve increasing the number of patient beds and intensive care facilities available, and the development of further testing services throughout the country, the president stressed that the “precautionary measures put in place across the globe have created challenges in sourcing and procuring essential items”.

Hence, he requested WHO’s assistance in alleviating these difficulties.

President Solih expressed appreciation for the WHO’s efforts to raise awareness regarding safeguarding communities from the spread of the COvid-19 and its ongoing assistance in mobilising resources to fight this pandemic during the call, in particular for the WHO country team in the Maldives. He also thanked Dr. Tedros for WHO’s recent contribution of additional test kits to the Maldives.