It will be challenging to identify the index case now: Dr. Afzal

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revealed that it will be challenging to identify the index case of the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19), in the current situation the Maldives is in.

Speaking at the press conference on Tuesday, Dr. Ibrahim Afzal revealed that there is “no need” to seek out the index case, or the patient through which the community transmission occurred, at this point.

He highlighted that the protocol followed in other countries is to seek out the index case upon the discovery of the first case of community transmission and that this will prove no purpose if carried out now, after several clusters have surfaced since the first case.

On 15 April, authorities discovered the first case of a community transmission through a Maldivian woman, Patient 21, following which a lockdown was declared across the Greater Malé Region for a 24-hour period. However, this has since been extended to 30 April. Although residents of the region were observed to have violated these orders, the authorities began issuing special permits for delivery services.

Up until Wednesday morning, there have been 86 confirmed cases in the country and 66 confirmed cases in the capital city.