5 MNDF officers have tested positive for coronavirus

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), on Monday, announced that the people who tested positive for COVID-19 in Maldives included five military officers.

The announcement was made by Colonel Hussain Ali at the National Emergency Operations Center press briefing this afternoon.

Colonel Hussain Ali said a number of military officers who had contact with the five officers who tested positive had been quarantined.

He said the MNDF had been aware military officers themselves would fall sick when they had deployed officers to work in the frontlines of the national COVID-19 emergency response effort.

He said that the officers placed under quarantine would return to duty once completed their quarantine period.

“We will remain steadfast in this effort. Those who test positive among us will be treated in line with the official mechanisms in place,” he said.

Colonel Hussain Ali said that the MNDF leadership had been aware of the potential for officers to fall sick, and consequently, for more to be isolated or quarantined. He said the MNDF already had SOPs in place to ascertain the safety and security of the military force.

Military stations have also been prepped to deal with any change in situation, he added.

Health Protection Agency (HPA) had confirmed the first positive virus case among military officers on April 21. The agency stated at that time that it had identified 41 contacts in connection to the case.

During this Monday’s press briefing, Tourism Minister Ali Waheed provided assurance the government was taking measures to ascertain the health and safety of people in the frontlines of the battle against the spread of the virus.

Some 600 military officers, police officers and other frontline workers have been provided accommodation away from their families, said Ali Waheed.

214 have tested positive for COVID-19 in Maldives, the vast majority of them from Male’.