64 frontline healthcare workers have tested positive for Covid-19 in the Maldives, as well as 67 police officers.

This was revealed that Saturday night’s Covid-19 press briefing, where the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) spokesperson Dr. Nazla Rafeeq highlighted that 37 healthcare workers tested positive for the virus in July alone.

21 frontline police officers were identified last month, as well as six on Saturday.

While Maldives has confirmed nearly 4,000 Covid-19 cases since March, there has been a surge in cases detected following easing of lockdown. Record daily numbers were reported last week, of locals testing positive for the virus.

Health officials have expressed concern over the surge and have predicted this to continue for the next few weeks. While officials have revealed that there has been an increase number of cases with no links to previously confirmed cases, they said that this indicates “a wide spread community spread”.

While Maldives’ first few Covid-19 cases were detected from resorts on March 7, a community transmission was confirmed on April 15 after a woman with no recent travel history tested positive for the virus upon consultation at a flu clinic. Authorities had initiated a lockdown in the greater Malé region almost immediately, and lockdown easing was initiated on May 29.