COVID-19 situation at Foakaidhoo worsens, records over 100 cases in a week

Sh. Foakaidhoo has recorded over 100 COVID-19 cases in the span of a week.

The first COVID-19 cases recorded from Foakaidhoo was on July 13. Manager of Foakaidhoo Health Center Ahmed Anwar confirmed to Sun today that following the first case – a total of 235 samples have been taken from the island out of which 103 samples came back positive.

Anwar further detailed that 155 houses on the island were presently under monitoring mechanisms. He also noted that they have yet to receive the results of four samples that have been taken.

As the COVID-19 situation at the island is dire, the island is under a full lockdown – according to Anwar. Health officials on the island are also sure that Foakaidhoo is going through a community spread.

“We are sure that this is a community spread but we do not understand why the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has not declared the same.  We have witnessed 103 cases in a short period of time. Random samples – samples that have no correlation to the houses under monitoring – has come back positive,” Anwar had said.

When questioned whether there were any plans to enforce further restrictions on the island to curb the spread of the virus, Anwar had said that it was presently not under discussion as the residents are extremely cooperative in adhering to existing restrictive measures.

He also detailed that health officials have been granted permit to enforce a curfew on the island if the situation calls for it.

Anwar also addressed the difficulties faced by health officials at the moment noting that there were no means to test for COVID-19 in any islands near Foakiadhoo – highlighting that the samples need to be sent to Male’ every single time for testing.