COVID-19: Cases in Maldives rise well above 400

The authorities have confirmed that 72 Bangladeshi nationals have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Maldives, bringing the collective figure for the whole country to 468.

The cases were confirmed on the COVID-19 dashboard of the Health Ministry's website. All the individuals are Bangladeshi nations and are from the same cluster named as CCC cluster. The conditions of the 72 individuals are stable, according to the information uploaded on the website. 

The dashboard also included information that those who tested are all male and are between the ages of 22 and 54.

The total number of Bangladeshi nationals that have tested for COVID-19 makes up more than half of all confirmed positive cases in the Maldives. 145 Maldivians have also tested positive for the virus while Indian nationals make the third-highest number of positive cases in the country with 49 cases.

The Maldives has so far tested more than 8000 people for the virus. The country currently has 451 active cases of the virus and one fatality. 17 people have also recovered after being infected with the virus. Authorities have previously warned that the number of cases could increase in the country due to the high number of contacts from positive cases.

Concerns expressed over the risk the virus poses to migrants who live in congested residences in the capital have led the government to attempt to mitigate the situation.

National Emergency Operations Center spokesperson Mabrouq Azeez has previously stated that the lockdown order on the capital was increased to resolve the issues of congestion among the migrant population of the country. Many migrants are forced to live in unhygienic and overcrowded residences due to a number of reasons.