Two additional islands in Gaafu Alifu atoll have been placed under monitoring, following detection of Covid-19 cases liked to the atoll's Dhevvadhoo island cluster.

The Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) announced the confirmation of coronavirus cases from Dhaandhoo and Villingilli islands on Thursday morning.

Two people have tested positive for the virus from Dhaandhoo while one tested from Villingilli.

Authorities are currently conducting contact tracing on the island, and HPA said that further details of the situation will be shared at the next Covid-19 press briefing.

Dhevvadhoo island’s first Covid-19 case was reported on December 24, with a four-month-old baby testing positive for the infection while under quarantine. While no one else from the family had contracted the virus, authorities began testing others that had come into contact with the baby.

While random samples were also taken from the island, over 30 cases have been confirmed in Dhevvadhoo since. Authorities initially believed that the four-month baby was patient zero there, but have since revealed that it is now believed that the virus had been spreading on the island for weeks.

Hence, those that traveled out of Dhevvadhoo since November 30 have been instructed to quarantine.

The island was placed under monitoring last Thursday, while the same measures were placed in Gan and Fonadhoo islands of Laamu atoll soon after four individuals who travelled to the latter from Dhevvadhoo tested positive.