Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) has revealed 22 staff working at the Cargo Department of Velana International Airport (VIA) have tested positive for COVID-19.
Speaking at a press conference, HEOC Spokesperson Dr. Fathimath Nazla Rafeeq said the first case from the cluster was reported on November 5. She said 5 direct contacts of the case tested positive on November 12, while another 6 individuals tested positive on November 13. She revealed a further 10 cases were identified from the cluster across November 14-15.
Dr. Nazla said contact tracing of the cluster is still ongoing, noting 27 contacts have been quarantined. She added 136 samples were obtained from the airport for testing on November 15.
In addition to cargo staff, several employees of a sub-contractor working at VIA have also recently tested positive for COVID-19.