Addu City, Maldives — Former MP of Hithadhoo and Retired Brigadier General of MNDF, Ibrahim Mohamed Didi has called on the authorities to place Hithadhoo and Feydhoo of Addu City on lockdown.
The statement from Didi comes after the Health Emergency Operation Center (HEOC) confirmed that the number of positive cases in connection to the Hithadhoo cluster of Addu City has reached 15 with 44 contacts traced from Hithadhoo.
As the Hithadhoo Cluster in Addu City has recorded up to 15 Covid-19 positive cases within a day and is currently under monitoring status, Didi has questioned whether it is the time to put a full lockdown in Hithadhoo and Feydhoo for at least two to three days until the contact tracing is completed.
As the Hithadhoo Cluster has not only spread to Feydhoo, but to GDh. Thinadhoo with contacts in Maradhoo and Maradhoofeydhoo as well, HEOC has instructed all citizens to be attentive on taking precautions against the Covid-19 virus.
The first two cases of the Hithadhoo Cluster were identified from Hithadhoo on Saturday. They were part of a team who arrived from Male’ for an Aviation Security Command training in Addu City. Mayor Sodiq informed that several staff of Gan International Airport partook in the training and that contact tracing has been initiated for all participants.
In addition to this, it has been confirmed that an individual, who traveled from Addu to Thinadhoo has tested positive for Covid-19 and that they were a close contact of the two individuals who tested positive for Covid-19 in Hithadhoo.
This cluster comes just a couple of days after a major cluster was discovered in Hulhumeedhoo of the same city, in a Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) site. This comes almost a year after Maldives recorded the first cases of Covid-19, making it a first for the city to have cases test positive from individuals who are not in quarantine.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has placed Addu City and neighboring island GDh. Thinadhoo under monitoring status until further notice.
