Addu City Council has announced a 14-day lockdown has been imposed in Addu following the detection of the first COVID-19 case in the city.
Mayor of Addu City Abdulla Sodiq said further restrictive measures are being imposed in the city after a patient who was transferred from Addu to Male’ City tested positive for COVID-19. The mayor said Director General of Public Health Maimoona Aboobakuru has ordered to lock down the city as there is a high risk of community spread.
Mayor Sodiq announced a 14-day lockdown has been imposed in the city, during which entry and exit from Addu will be banned. He said all movement will be banned during this period, with exceptions provided for permitted individuals who need to go out for essential purposes.
The mayor further said arrangements have been made to provide basic services to the public during the lockdown. As such, he noted social support desks have been established in all wards of the city, which will provide assistance to the public with regards to basic necessities.
The first case of COVID-19 reported from Addu City was a 43-year-old man who was transferred from Addu Equatorial Hospital (AEH) to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) to conduct tests on his heart condition. The hospital said the patient was tested for COVID-19 as part of the routine checks, although he did not show any symptoms of the disease.
Addu Emergency Operation Centre stated 26 direct contacts of the patient have been identified, including 7 doctors and 10 nurses of AEH. The patient’s residence in Hithadhoo has also been brought under monitoring.