Health Minister Abdulla Ameen said that the lockdown in the greater Malé region cannot be lifted.

The minister made the statement at a press conference held at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) on Saturday afternoon, where he noted that the reported Covid-19 cases continues to increase rapidly.

Hence, he said that there is a chance that the lockdown might be extended.

Ameen said that the lockdown imposed to control the spread of the infection has made easier to identify contacts as well as take the required measures.

He added that a community transmission was detected even while a number of precautionary measures were in place, and stressed that it is not yet time to return to normalcy.

Further stressing that this will take time, the health minister asked the people to accept the fact that the current situation might remain for a long period.

He noted that the reason for a possible extension of the lockdown is to control the spread of the virus, adding that a sudden increase in cases will make it difficult to provide adequate care for the patients.

Further noting that the public’s cooperation is required for the lockdown to be successful, the minister appealed for all to follow instructions of health experts.

While a community transmission was first detected on April 15, with a woman with no travel history testing positive for the virus, the capital has been on lockdown since. The lockdown was initially announced for a 24-hour period but was extended by 24 hours and then additional 14 days.

And while the minister stated that the city is not in a state for the lockdown to be lifted, there is a possibility that the virus has reached the north after a captain of a boat that travelled with 98 passengers tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday.