Covid-19: Malé Prison officer, who tested positive, was already under home quarantine

While an officer at the Malé Prison has tested positive for Covid-19, it has been revealed that this officer was under home quarantine.

Covid-19 taskforce’s spokesperson, Mohamed Mabrook Aziz, revealed this at Saturday’s Covid-19 press briefing, adding that the officer is a contact of an individual that tested positive during random sampling.

Noting that the officer was placed under home quarantine on June 18, Mabrook said that his samples were taken for testing the next day after exhibiting Covid-19 like symptoms. He said that contact tracing is underway.

Maldives Correctional Services (MCS) said that emergency protocols have been initiated after an ESG officer tested positive for Covid-19, and that both officers and inmates identified through contact tracing will be tested for the virus.

While there are four prisons under MCS, this is the first Covid-19 related case at a prison. Random sampling was carried out in all four prisons previously, and they all had come back negative. A total of 35 people’s samples were tested from Malé Prison alone; 15 inmates and 20 officers.

Commissioner of Prison, Ahmed Mohamed had said that a number of measures were put in place in the prisons as soon a Covid-19 case was confirmed in the country, for the safety of both the prisoners and guards of the Maldives Correctional Services (MCS).