Delivery workers for BHM, Ihsaan Fihaara among virus patients

National Emergency Operations Center, on Monday, said the new COVID-19 patients in Male’ City included delivery workers at grocery chain Ihsaan Fihaara and wholesale business BHM Traders.

Shortly ahead of the NEOC press briefing this afternoon, Health Protection Agency (HPA) had announced eight new COVID-19 cases in the capital; six Maldivian nationals and two Bangladeshi nations.

HPA epidemiologist Dr. Nazla Rafeeq disclosed details regarding the eight patients at the press briefing.

Dr. Nazla said the two Bangladeshi patients were delivery workers for Ihsaan Fihaara. Ihsaan Fihaara has a number of grocery stores in Male’. She did not specify the store which they work for.

As for the Maldivian patients; patient 53 is a delivery worker for BHM Traders who presented to a flu clinic in Male’, while patient 54 is an employee of Dhivehi Viuga, who also presented to a flu clinic. Patient 54 had begun developing symptoms on April 18.

Meanwhile, patient 55 and patient 57 had been asymptomatic, but had been tested because they were contacts of patient 27 – a 36-year-old woman who had tested positive on April 17. Both had already been under isolation upon being identified as contacts of patient 27.

Patient 57 is a direct contact of patient 34 – a 22-year-old woman who tested positive on April 18 – and is a direct contact of patient 27.

Patient 58 is a person who presented to the flu clinic after developing symptoms on Sunday.

Seven more tested positive for COVID-19 from Male’ this Monday; three Maldivian nationals and four foreign nationals.

The test results of the seven more patients had come in just the press conference was about to conclude, and increases total new cases in the capital to 15.

While virus cases in Maldives had previously been isolated to resorts islands and safaris, virus cases emerged in the populous capital on April 15, resulting in a lockdown on Male’ and suburban Hulhumale’ and Vilimale’.

The number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Male’ has since risen to 47, and the cases nationwide have risen to 67.