Authorities are set to begin collecting Covid-19 surveillance samples from Addu City on Saturday.

The Addu Equatorial Hospital revealed that the samples will be collected from different areas of the southernmost city on Saturday and Sunday.

Authorities urged the public to cooperate with public health officials, accordingly.

According to the Health Protection Agency (HPA), a total of 14 Covid-19 cases have been detected from the city including 12 in home quarantine and two of their contacts.

Maldives reported its first few cases of the infection on March 7, from resorts. Within the over six-month period since authorities began battling the global pandemic, over 10,000 cases have been confirmed in the island nation.

Cases being reported in residential islands of recent saw a steady increase after authorities began allowing travel to and from the virus’s epicenter, the greater Malé region. Several individuals traveling to residential islands have been testing positive during and at the end of their 14-day quarantine period. Following this, authorities have since begun enforcing stricter home quarantine guidelines.