The National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) has revealed that a total of 2,370 individuals have been released from quarantine facilities thus far.

Speaking to press on Saturday night, NEOC’s spokesperson Mohamed Mabrook Aziz revealed that 130 individuals were released from quarantine facilities on Saturday under the protocol set by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

These individuals had completed a 14-day period in quarantine and tested negative for the Covid-19 infection, when they were released.

Samples have also been taken from 41 individuals, who will be released from quarantine if their results come back negative for the coronavirus.

According to HPA’s latest statistics, there are a total of 1,521 individuals in quarantine facilities currently, they include direct contacts of positive cases discovered in the country, Maldivians who were repatriated from foreign countries and individuals who wish to return to their home islands after having been stranded in the capital Malé City after arriving for a brief visit prior to the lockdown imposed on April 15.

HPA’s regulations state that quarantined individuals may be released back into the society after completing a 14-day quarantine period and test negative for the infection.

Refusing to be taken into quarantine and give samples is described as a violation of the Public Health Act of the country and courts are mandated to release orders to do the needful in such cases. The act also mandates all individuals to share accurate information during a State of Public Health Emergency, which was declared across Maldives on March 12.

The Greater Malé Region has been locked down following the discovery of the first Covid-19 community transmission on April 15. Other measures taken under this include banning travel between inhabited islands.

Following the increase in the number of positive cases, a number of islands have been brought under monitoring and a number of individuals are also being taken into quarantine under the contact tracing process.