Addu, GDh. Thinadhoo under monitoring following discovery of Covid-19 cases

Addu City and the island of GDh. Thinadhoo have been placed under monitoring by health authorities following the discovery of positive Covid-19 cases.

Addu City Mayor Abdulla Sadiq (Soabe) informed RaajjeMV that two colleagues exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 had tested positive for infection at a flu clinic. He added that the two persons worked within the same office, and that only their coworkers and family members had been identified as direct contacts thus far. Five people linked to these two cases have tested positive for Covid-19 as of now.

Sadiq added that all of Addu City had been placed under monitoring as the islands of Addu were interconnected, and due to on-going contact tracing efforts as additional positive cases had been identified in regions other than Hithadhoo.

While all of Addu City has been placed under monitoring by the Health protection Authority (HPA) until further notice, Hulhu-meedhoo districts of the same atoll has also been under monitoring for some days following the discovery of 28 positive cases of Covid-19. These cases were reported from a cluster that developed among expat workers from a Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) development site on the island.

In addition to Addu City, the island of GDh. Thinadhoo has also been placed under monitoring as of Sunday, with two people who had travelled to Male' City from Thinadhoo last week having tested positive for the infection.

Thinadhoo island in Gaafu Dhaalu atoll. Photo: MTCC

The HPA has since issued a movement restriction order for Thinadhoo, with travel to and from the island discontinued until further notice while health authorities assess the situation of Covid-19 on the island. Those traveling to and from Thinadhoo need to acquire a permit from HPA to do so as long as the island remains under monitoring.

Random sampling efforts are now underway in Thinadhoo following the discovery of positive cases. Further, a person who tested positive in Thinadhoo has been linked to a case discovered from Addu City, Hithadhoo. The two had come come into contact at an Aviation Command Training Programme held in Addu, from which others had tested positive as well following their arrival into Male' City.

While the Covid-19 pandemic continues to worsen in the Maldives with a concerning number of cases being reported from the capital city every day. Many cases are now being reported from inhabited islands and both operational and non-operational resorts, with some cases being discovered from industrial islands as well.