Over 200 direct contacts have been identified, in relation to the 17 new Covid-19 cases announced on Sunday.

16 of the cases (Cases 36 to 51) were found from capital Malé City, while one (Case 52) is from Uligan island from Haa Alifu atoll; this is an individual that travelled to the island from the capital, on April 15.

Four direct contacts of the first case announced on Sunday (Patient 36, a Bangladeshi national) have been identified, with possible 200 other contacts. Authorities have yet to reveal whether this case has any links to the previously confirmed cases.

Cases 37 to 49 (all Bangladeshi nationals) are contacts of Patient 27, and an additional 68 contacts have been identified in this cluster. However, it was noted that this does not include previous contacts in relation to this cluster.

Further, 50 contacts of Cases 50 and 51 (both Indian nationals with direct links to Case 28) have been identified as well as 131 contacts of Case 52 (from Uligan island).

In addition, 45 contacts of Case 35 -which was confirmed on Saturday- have also been identified.

While the first community transmission case was discovered on April 15, a total of 468 contacts have been identified thus far and 242 samples have been taken for testing.

130 households have been placed under monitoring in relation to these cases, as well as seven inhabited islands.

The case from Uligan island was confirmed after an order for all that travelled from Malé to the outlying islands, from April 15, to self-isolate was issued by the director general of public health, as a measure to control the spread of the virus that continues to spread rapidly across the globe.