Kelaa resident tests positive for Covid-19

A resident of Kelaa island in Haa Alif atoll has tested positive for Covid-19.

Kelaa council’s Vice President, Aminath Ismail told RaajjeMV that the individual was tested after exhibiting flu-like symptoms and that the first samples came back negative but that a second sample had tested positive for the virus.

While his results came back on Monday night, Aminath said that they are following the Health Protection Agency (HPA)’ s guidelines and that contact tracing is underway.

Noting that individuals identified as contacts are being quarantined, she stressed that the resident had not had much contact with others on the island. Aminath said that the individual works on a vessel that travels between Kelaa and capital Malé City.

While Maldives’ first few Covid-19 cases were reported from resorts, the greater Malé region was placed on full lockdown following the detection of a community spread on April 15. Authorities began lockdown easing on May 29, and the country entered the third phase of the ease plan this month.

The third phase comes with various eases to movement restrictions, and HPA publicized the guidelines for travel between islands with confirmed cases to ones without any cases, last week. However, travel is only allowed for essential purposes, and individuals are only allowed to stay for five days.

There have recently been confirmed Covid-19 cases from Inguraidhoo island in Raa Atoll, as well as Finolhu (a resort in Baa Atoll).