Travel restrictions imposed in Kudahuvadhoo

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has placed Kudahuvadhoo, a residential island located in Dh. Atoll, under ‘monitoring’, restricting travel in and out of the island.

Kudahuvadhoo Council president Ahmed Sham told Sun on Tuesday that the travel restrictions were imposed in connection to confirmed coronavirus cases in Niyama Private Islands Maldives, a resort island which neighbors Kudahuvadhoo.

He said that four coronavirus cases were confirmed in the resort this Tuesday.

“Some people have travelled [to Kudahuvadhoo] from the resort recently. One of them has tested positive. We are currently conducting contact tracing,” he said.

Sham said that the travel restrictions were to remain in place indefinitely.

A family of four who were in home quarantine in Kudahuvadhoo after travelling from Male’ City – the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Maldives - have also tested positive; a 34-year-old man, a 24-year-old woman, a three-year-old boy, and a one-month-old boy.

Kudahuvadhoo does not have coronavirus testing facilities, and samples from the island are transported to Male’ for testing.

Sham said that a private party has donated two PCR machines to Kudahuvadhoo, but that the machines have yet to be installed.

Maldives has 7,804 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 137 new cases recorded on Monday. 5,155 patients have since recovered, while 28 have died from complications.

The country currently has 2,615 active cases. 172 coronavirus patients are hospitalized.