Kulhudhuffushi City to undergo 72-hour lockdown

The COVID-19 taskforce in Kulhudhuffushi City has made the decision to impose a full lockdown on the city, after a person who tested positive for the virus was found to have travelled through the city, and had contact with a number of its residents.

The lockdown is scheduled to take effect at 12 pm this Tuesday, and remain in place for 72-hours.

The virus patient in question is a resident of H. A. Uligan, who had travelled back to Uligan via boat following a visit to the capital Male’ City – which is experiencing a spike in virus cases – which the authorities now believe had gone undetected for at least two to three weeks. The boat which the patient had travelled on had carried passengers to several islands in northern Maldives.

Kulhudhuffushi City Council president Abdul Lathef Hassan told Sun that the patient had waited in the city “for a considerable amount of time” when the boat had made its stop in the city, and had also had contact during a number of the city’s residents during that time.

“Therefore, we believe it very likely the disease may have spread to this city,” said Latheef.

Uligan is currently under lockdown, and the National Emergency Operations Center has previously stated that the authorities have identified 131 contacts.

The boat on which the Uligan resident travelled on had left Male’ City on April 15, prior to the lockdown order on greater Male’ region following the identification of the city’s first virus case.

The islands to which the boat made stop to on its route have been placed under monitoring.

Latheef said that a number people had travelled to the city from Male’ after COVID-19 began spreading in the capital, and that everyone who had travelled to the city starting from April 1 had been ordered to practice self-isolation at home.

He said the taskforce therefore found the best measure to control a possible outbreak within the city to be to impose a lockdown.

This marks the first time for a COVID-19 taskforce in an island to make such a decision.

Latheef said that shops and restaurants were being issued permits to offer delivery services during the lockdown, and that residents had already been instructed to stay at home except for access to essential services.

He said that people who travel to Kulhudhuffushi for access to essential services such as blood transfusions will be granted entrance to the city.

Latheef said that he acknowledged the difficulties a lockdown would pose on residents of the city, but found it to be vital to ensure public health and safety at this time.

“I urge all residents to be patient. We need your cooperation,” said Latheef.

Virus cases in Male’ has risen to 49, and cases nationwide have risen to 69. Health authorities expect the cases in the capital to continue to rise.