National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) has revealed a randomly selected sample has tested positive for COVID-19 in Male' City.
As part of the efforts to assess the community transmission of COVID-19 in the country, NEOC has been collecting random samples from locations where large gatherings take place, as well as high-risk locations associated with the positive clusters for COVID-19.
Speaking at the daily press conference held at the NEOC, Dr. Ibrahim Afzal from the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) revealed one of the randomly selected samples has tested positive for COVID-19. He said since random sampling can be conducted widely across the country, it is likely that more random samples could test positive for COVID-19.
Speaking further, the doctor said the disease is likely to have spread across the community due to a large number of direct contacts of the first group of individuals who tested positive. He said the gathering of people in marketplaces is likely to have boosted the speed of community transmission.
Expressing concerns on the level of community spread in the country, Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen said the best preventive measure against a community spread would be to confine the space accessed by each individual. He reiterated the importance of staying indoors and practicing physical distancing in order to control the spread of COVID-19.
The health minister expressed concern about the number of people who are still seen in marketplaces and shops. He said both the seller and buyer of goods share a responsibility in making sure precautions are taken to restrict the spread of COVID-19.
The minister urged the public to be wary of the danger and risk posed by the disease to the society, noting the healthcare system of the country does not have the capacity to deal with an extended surge of cases. He added an individual could easily pass on the virus to others without even showing any symptoms, putting the whole society at risk.
The health minister urged the public to consider the health and well-being of the whole nation amid this pandemic and to stay indoors and observe the necessary safety precautions.