Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revealed the number of unemployed people contracting COVID-19 in the Maldives has been increasing in recent weeks.
Speaking at a press conference, Epidemiologist at HPA Dr. Ibrahim Afzal said the COVID-19 trends in the Maldives have changed with the ease in lockdown restrictions. In this regard, Dr. Afzal said unemployed people and frontline workers have presented the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the Maldives, with over 500 cases reported from each category. He said more unemployed people are contracting COVID-19 because they tend to spend more time at cafes and restaurants, while they are also more active in grocery shopping.
Other categories with the high numbers of COVID-19 cases include construction workers, individuals working in shops and employees of schools and colleges. Meanwhile, taxi drivers and individuals working in markets are among the categories with the least number of COVID-19 cases.
Statistics of HPA indicate more young people have been contracting COVID-19 in recent weeks. In this regard, individuals aged between 20 and 30 have presented the highest number of cases.
Maldives has reported a total of 6,225 COVID-19 cases, including 24 deaths. There are currently 2,413 active cases in the country.