An employee at the People’s Majlis has tested positive for Covid-19.

The parliament’s Secretary General Fathimath Niusha has confirmed this to RaajjeMV, adding that the employee who tested positive works in the maintenance department.

Niusha said that they cannot confirm the number of people that had come into contact with this employee yet, as the Health Protection Agency (HPA) is still in the contact tracing process.

RaajjeMV understands that the parliamentary building has been closed off following the confirmation of the Covid-19 case, and disinfection is to be carried out on Thursday.

A total of 140 people are employed at the parliament.

While Maldives has confirmed a total of 2,094 Covid-19 cases thus far, the first cases were discovered from a resort on March 7. A community transmission was detected and a lockdown was announced in the greater Malé region on April 15, however, parliament sittings were being held online from March 30.

Sittings resumed at the parliamentary building in late May, with the required approval from the Health Protection Agency (HPA), with new guidelines. The decision to resume sessions at the building was met with public criticism.

The country is currently in phase two of the lockdown ease plan.