Authorities will publicize the personal information of the last and seventh expatriate worker who has been missing after testing positive for Covid-19 during random sampling, under the order of the Maldives Police Service (MPS).

This was revealed by the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC)’s spokesperson Mohamed Mabrook Aziz during Monday night’s press briefing.

As such, Mabrook cited the Health Protection Agency (HPA) having revealed that they were told by the relevant authority that it is important to publicize the migrant worker’s personal information at this point.

However, this has not been done as the police are yet to give the order.

Authorities are still seeking out the last of the seven Bangladeshi nationals who went missing in action after testing positive for Covid-19 and earlier caught six of them after seeking assistance from the police to locate them after they went missing, on May 13.

As per protocol, the Director General of Public Health, Maimoona Aboobakuru will publicize personal information of those in hiding, if they do not present themselves to the authorities. The Director General of public health is authorized to do so under powers vested to her by the Public Health Act.

Thus far, HPA has not had to disclose personal information of a Covid-19 patient, however, individuals have been warned that their information will be publicized if they do not follow authorities’ instructions.

This comes at a number of Bangladeshi nationals are testing positive for Covid-19 in the Maldives and they have been deemed at high risk of contracting the virus, due to their living conditions. A majority of the Covid-19 cases discovered in the Greater Malé Region are of Bangladeshi nationals who are forced to reside in confined living spaces in large groups.