Major Covid-19 cluster in Addu is due to carelessness of government: Opposition

Senior officials of PPM/PNC opposition coalition
Senior officials of PPM/PNC opposition coalition. | Photo via Sun

Addu City, Maldives — The Progressive Congress Coalition states that the major Covid-19 clusters currently growing in the southernmost atoll of Maldives, Addu City is due to the careless of the incumbent government.

The statement from the Opposition party comes after Addu City recorded a total of 47 Covid-19 cases within the past few days with 263 direct contacts traced till date.

The Opposition stated that the reason for the spread of Covid-19 in Addu City is because the government was careless in taking the necessary precautions and that this is the result of the government being irresponsible on checking on certain things.

Opposition stated that the the major cluster developed in Addu City is because the instead of paying attention to important things as such, the incumbent government is focusing more on achieving their political aims by giving different authorities of the political and governmental sector the permission to travel from one island to another.

The government was very careless in this matter.

Opposition

The Opposition stated that the rise in the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is because the government due not properly check whether all precautions were taken and that the major cluster is due to the people who went to Addu City under a special permit that was provided by the government.

They further noted not only to Addu but the political members are now even traveling from one island to another without having any concern for the safety of the citizens.

The statement said that it is worrying that the government is allowing such carelessness and that the result of this is easily seen in the fact that not only Addu City but Huvadhoo Atoll is also affected by the major cluster that was found in Addu City.

We call on the government to take the safety of the citizens as a priority and to take quick actions against the spread of Covid-19 in different parts of Maldives.

Opposition

In addition to this, the Opposition has also called on the government to seek forgiveness from the citizens as the spread of Covid-19 in both Addu City and GDh. Thinadhoo is due to the carelessness of the government.

The first two cases of the Aviation Cluster were identified from Hithadhoo on Saturday. They were contacts 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.

This Cluster has not only spread across the districts in Addu City, but to GDh. Thinadhoo and currently, the authorities suspect that GDh. Hoandedhdhoo is at risk as well according to local news.

HEOC has already 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. While over 50 samples were taken from the Hulhumeedhoo Cluster so far, 25 people have tested positive for the virus.

Although Addu City is currently under monitoring status, the situation of the islands are at a normal rate. Along with Addu City, the neighboring island GDh. Thinadhoo and Fuvahmulah City have also been placed under monitoring status due to the Hithadhoo Aviation Cluster.