HEOC: Misinformation for contact tracing, huge issue

Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) has stated that the issue of misinformation for COVID-19 contact tracing work is huge.

Speaking in a press conference last night, HEOC epidemiologist Dr. Ibrahim Afzal said that during the first days of the virus in the Maldives, people were honest and willing to provide information for contact tracing. This made things easier, said Dr. Afzal.

He stated that things were now very different as people now only provide a few number of contacts.

"So if we, check contacts multiple times, we only identify those contacts in the same residence. The people that come into contact with them from outside, can only be provided by them." said Dr. Afzal.

The less number of contacts were also only due to the misinformation provided by people to contact tracing. He also requested against misinformation to contact tracing.