The number of Bangladeshi nationals to have tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in the Maldives, has surpassed 1,000.

This was revealed via statistics of the Ministry of Health’s dashboard which shows that the number of Bangladeshi nationals who contracted the virus currently sits at 1,003 which is 54.84% of the total case count.

Out of the 1,829 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the Maldives, 32.26% are Maldivians, with 590 having tested positive as of Monday.

The surging number of Bangladeshi nationals testing positive in the Maldives has been a rising concern, with authorities classifying them as vulnerable to the infection due to their lifestyles and the confined spaces they are forced to live in large groups.

Authorities have since begun working to transfer a number of expatriate workers to better living quarters and are repatriating them in groups under discussions with the Bangladeshi government.

Other confirmed cases include 186 Indians, 23 Nepali nationals, 11 Italians, nine Sri Lankans, three Pakistani nationals, and four others.