Six new virus cases include Sri Lankan national

Health Protection Agency has just announced that six more individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Maldives, including a Sri Lankan national.

In a tweet on its official account, HPA confirmed the six new cases which include two Maldivians, two Bangladeshis, one India, and one Sri Lankan national. 

The newly confirmed cases bring the total numbers of the Maldives to 116.

This is the first time a Sri Lankan national has tested positive for the virus in the Maldives. The Maldives has a large number of workers from countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka working in the country.

The government of Maldives has previously warned that migrant workers living in dire conditions were at risk the most of being infected with the virus and has been making efforts to mitigate the situation.

Migrants are being moved to government accommodations and the HPA is also conducting screening procedures against the virus in overcrowded residences of migrants in the capital.

Economic Minister Fayyaz Ismail has also announced that the government will be building a worker's village in Gulhifalhi that will have the capacity to house 40,000 migrant workers.

There are currently 48 Maldivians and 68 foreigners positive for the virus in the Maldives, with a total of 116 cases. The first case of a community spread in the Maldives was identified on April 15, 2020, in the capital Male' City, more than a month after the country confirmed the first case of the virus from a tourist in a resort. 

More than a week after the first case, the capital has now confirmed 97 cases of the virus. Male' City currently has more than 217 locations under monitoring mechanisms.