Maldives reports two new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday; lowest increase in a week

Maldives reported two Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total case count to 85.

The new case figures are the smallest daily increase in nearly a week;

However, this could be the calm before the storm.

While Maldives was able to control a spread for over a month since the first case was reported on March, a community transmission was detected on April 15 after authorities increased testing at the flu clinics. The first patient from the city is the 21st case from the country, and is a woman that tested positive despite having no travel history.

However, authorities believe the transmission to have started “about three weeks ago” and that identifying the index case "will be a challenge" at this point.

In addition to the first case discovered in the country’s congested capital, 65 others have tested positive for Covid-19 from the city. 2,391 contacts have been identified through tracing and authorities are awaiting results of a total of 383 samples including 137 taken through contact tracing.

While authorities had previously tested all direct contacts, whether high-risk or low, a change has been brought to these procedures following a sudden surge in cases.

Procedures are to have been changed following advise of the Technical Advisory Group, or TAG, to focus specifically on high-risk contacts. However, it was revealed on Wednesday that all direct contacts will once again be tested.

The capital has been on lockdown for over a week now, and travel between islands was banned last Friday to reduce a community spread.

Several islands have been placed under monitoring, as per the same procedures carried out when a possible Covid-19 case was reported from a resort following the first cases from Kuredu Island Resort in March. While the measures have been lifted from some islands, those currently under monitoring are;

In addition, a total of 200 buildings or apartments have been quarantined as well as 26 businesses including shops, go-downs and clinics.

While authorities note that there is little chance of the virus further spreading with the current measures, they appealed the public to adhere to the guidelines issued in order to ensure this.

As such, all have been asked to wear masks when out in public and it has been reported that the biggest risk now is through the delivery system. Delivery personnel including volunteers have tested positive for Covid-19, which is why a number of businesses have been quarantined.

And while some essential workers are still required to go to work, they have been urged to refrain from doing so “even if there is the slightest symptom”.

While the novel coronavirus continues to spread rapidly across the globe, various countries have taken different measures to curb the spread.

At a press conference held on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the government’s Covid-19 taskforce Mohamed Mabrook Aziz stressed that the Maldivian government’s biggest priority is the “safety and well-being of the people”.