Patient transferred to Male’ from Addu tests positive for COVID-19

A resident of Addu city who was medically evacuated to Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Male’ city on Saturday has tested positive for COVID-19.

An official from the Addu COVID-19 taskforce told Sun the patient had initially been treated at the Addu Equatorial Hospital, but was medically evacuated to the capital following deterioration in the patient’s condition.

The official said that the Health Protection Agency (HPA) had confirmed the patient has tested positive for COVID-19, and had placed Addu City under monitoring.

Health officials have also begun contact tracing in the city.

Equatorial Hospital manager Saadhath Sharaf told Sun the patient had a heart condition and was brought in to the hospital at approximately 8 am on Friday.

The patient had not shown any symptoms consistent with COVID-19, he said.

“Because the patient suffered a heart complication, the patient was evacuated as an emergency case to Male’ at approximately 3 am. Protocol dictates that IGMH must take samples from and test patients brought in for COVID. The patient tested positive,” said Saadhath.

He said the patient was a resident of Maradhoo-Feydhoo, and had had previously worked for resort chain Anantara.

The patient returned to Addu approximately two months back, said Saadhath.

Addu city mayor Abdulla Sodiq (Sobe) told Addu Live that the patient had returned to Addu from a resort on March 10.

Neither the age nor gender of the patient has been confirmed at this point.

It marks the first COVID-19 case in Addu.

Maldives currently has 744 COVID-19 infections, 20 recoveries and three fatalities.