Maldives has confirmed the first case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Two cases were reported in the world famous tourist desitination.
Two infected people were both staff members of the Kuredu Island Resort and they were tested positive on Saturday. The patients believed to have caught the virus from an Italian tourist.
The tourist reportedly tested positive the virus when he got back to Italy. There are about 1,400 people on the island
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“These two cases which tested positive are from a resort. They are employees of the resort and are now quarantined,” Ali Waheed, the tourism minister of the island nation said .
“The period for the temporary restrictions will be decided by the medical teams. Right now, we have identified people who were in contact with the patients and they are in self-isolation along with secondary contacts. At this time we can say that these individuals will be monitored for fourteen days,” he added.
The country has yet to decide if they will allow the tourists to leave the country who may have had contact for the COVID-19 patients.
It has banned passengers originating from, had transited through or spent any time in Italy in the preceding 14 days.
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The Maldives Health Protection Agency already implemented “temporary restrictive measures” on a second island after an Italian national developed symptoms at the Sandies resort on Bathala island.
Two French nationals on a third island who showed symptoms of the disease had tested negative.
