COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives
The COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have spread to the Maldives on 7 March 2020 from a 69-year-old Italian tourist who had returned to Italy after spending holidays in Kuredu Resort & Spa.[1][2] The Health Protection Agency of the Maldives confirmed two cases in the Maldives, both employees of the resort. Following this, the hotel was locked down with several tourists stranded on the island.[3] As of 11 March, the islands resorts of Kuredu, Vilamendhoo, Batalaa and Kuramathi island have also been placed under temporary quarantine. Schools have been closed as a precaution.[4]
| COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives | |
|---|---|
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Maldives |
| First outbreak | Wuhan, China, via Italy |
| Index case | Kuredu Resort & Spa |
| Arrival date | 7 March 2020 (10 months, 4 weeks and 1 day) |
| Confirmed cases | 14,993 |
| Active cases | 1,083 |
| Recovered | 13,851 |
Deaths | 51 |
| Government website | |
| covid19 | |
Cases in the country spiked after a cluster emerged in the country's migrant worker community's dense living quarters, mostly composed of Bangladeshi, Indian and Nepali migrant workers in May 2020.[5] 2,420 foreigners have tested positive in the country with 1,857 Bangladeshi migrant workers have tested positive for the virus.[6] The Maldivian government plans to relocate 3,000 Bangladeshi foreign workers to other islands in order to enable social distancing.[7]
Background
On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[8][9]
The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[10][11] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[12][10]
Timeline
March 2020
On 7 March, the Maldives confirmed its first two cases of COVID-19, who are foreign employees at Kuredhoo Island Resort. Both are believed to have caught the infection from an Italian tourist who tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to Italy. On 9 March, the Maldives confirmed two other COVID-19 cases tested positive. They too were tourists.
The Maldives declared a public health emergency over COVID-19 on 12 March.[13] As of 19 March 2020, the Maldives had 13 positive cases and the lockdown status on Vilamendhoo and Bathala has been lifted.[14]
On 27 March, the government announced the first confirmed case of a Maldivian citizen with COVID-19, and that person is from the UK. This brought the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 16; the other 15 were foreign citizens.[15] As of 29 March, there were 17 positive cases of COVID-19.
April 2020
On 30 April, Maldivian authorities have reported their first death of coronavirus in the country, with the first victim being the 83-year-old woman that died en route to the hospital.[16] The total number of confirmed cases since the start of the outbreak stood at 468.[17]
May 2020
On May 15, 2020, more than 1000 cases tested positive for COVID-19 in Maldives. By the end of May there had been 1773 confirmed cases and five deaths.[18]
June 2020
The total number of confirmed cases increased to 2361 and the death toll rose to eight.[19]
July 2020
The total number of confirmed cases increased to 3793 and the death toll rose to sixteen.[20]
August 2020
On 25 August, former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom tested positive for COVID-19.[21] The number of confirmed cases more than doubled to 7667 and the death toll increased to 28.[22]
September 2020
The number of confirmed cases increased to 10291 and the death toll rose to 34.[23]
October 2020
The number of confirmed cases increased to 11659 and the death toll rose to 38.[24]
November 2020
The number of confirmed cases increased to 13011 and the death toll rose to 46.[25]
December 2020
The number of confirmed cases increased to 13757 and the death toll rose to 48.[26]
January 2021
The number of confirmed cases increased to 15841 and the death toll rose to 52.[27]
February 2021
Mass vaccination commenced on 1 February, initially with 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca's Covishield vaccine donated by India.[28] An unidentified benefactor donated 5,000 doses of Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV vaccine while China undertook to donate 100,000 doses of the same vaccine.[29]
On 2 February, Dr Sheena Moosa of the Maldives Health Emergency Operations Center reported that the time-varying reproduction number R t had risen to 5.[30]
Restrictions on travel to the Maldives
The government of the Maldives and the Tourism Ministry of the Maldives with the guidance of the Health Protection Agency of the Maldives (HPA) placed a temporary travel restriction for the following countries to control new cases. No passengers originating from, transiting to or with a travel history of said country/province is to be permitted into the Maldives. Maldivians and spouses of Maldivians who are foreign nationals will be allowed in but may be subject to quarantine measures.[31]
| Country | Effective Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China | Active from 4 February 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| Iran | Active from 26 February 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| South Korea (North and South Gyeongsang Provinces) | Active from 3 March 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| Italy | Active from 8 March 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| Bangladesh | Active from 24 March 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| Germany (Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg) | Active from 15 March 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| Spain (All provinces and regions) | Active from 15 March 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| France (Île-de-France and Grand Est) | Active from 15 March 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| Malaysia | Active from 17 March 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| United Kingdom | Active from 19 March 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| Sri Lanka | Active from 21 March 2020 | Ministry of Health |
Quarantine facilities
The Maldivian government turned the resort island of Villivaru in the Kaafu Atoll into a quarantine facility, described as "the world's first coronavirus resort", where patients would enjoy a luxurious stay and free medical care.[32][33]
According to Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed, the Maldives had 2,288 beds available for quarantine as of late March 2020.[33]
Impact
The Maldives' economy is dependent on tourism, which dropped severely due to travel restrictions amid the pandemic. Experts warned of an economic contraction and possible difficulties paying back foreign debt, especially to China and India.[34]
Migrant workers in Maldives have been reported to face harsh treatment from their employers, like wage theft, unsafe living and working condition, passport confiscation, and deceptive recruitment practices. According to the investigation by Human Rights Watch, these migrant labor abuses have worsened due to COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in job loss and forced labor without any pay.[35]
Details of the initial confirmed cases
| Case | Date | Age | Gender | Nationality | Hospital admitted | Source of infection | Status | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 March 2020 | Not disclosed | Female | Turkish | Farukolhu Fushi Isolation Center | Italy | Recovered | First case in the Maldives. Italian tourist linked the local transmission | Ministry of Health |
| 2 | 7 March 2020 | Not disclosed | Male | South African | Farukolhu Fushi Isolation Center | Italy | Recovered | First case in the Maldives. Italian tourist linked the local transmission | Ministry of Health |
References
- "Maldives confirms first two coronavirus cases; two resort islands locked down". The Economic Times. 8 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- Hussain, Moosa (7 June 2020). "Management of the first severe case of COVID-19 in the small islands of Maldives". Respiratory Medicine Case Reports. 30: 101118. doi:10.1016/j.rmcr.2020.101118. PMC 7276129. PMID 32550127. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- CNN, Tamara Hardingham-Gill. "Tourists being kept under coronavirus quarantine at luxury Maldives resort". CNN. Archived from the original on 10 March 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- "Coronavirus: Four Maldives resorts placed in lockdown". TTG. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- "Maldives Sees Rapid Spike in COVID-19 Patients". Archived from the original on 12 May 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- "COVID-19 should be a wake up call to Maldives to treat its migrant workers better". 12 May 2020. Archived from the original on 20 May 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- "Samples collected from migrant workers living in 30".
- Elsevier. "Novel Coronavirus Information Center". Elsevier Connect. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- Reynolds, Matt (4 March 2020). "What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic?". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- "High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
- "World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus". www.wfsahq.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- "Maldives declares public health emergency over COVID-19". TTG. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- "CORONAVIRUS: MALDIVES LIFTS LOCKDOWN ON THREE RESORTS". TTG. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- "Maldives reports first domestic case of coronavirus, total tally rises to 16". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- "Maldives Reports First Coronavirus Fatality". ANI News. 30 April 2020. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation report 103" (PDF). World Health Organization. 2 May 2020. p. 12. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation report 133" (PDF). World Health Organization. 1 June 2020. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation report 163" (PDF). World Health Organization. 1 July 2020. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation report 194" (PDF). World Health Organization. 1 August 2020. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- "Maldives ex-president tests positive for coronavirus". news.yahoo.com.
- "Maldives response to COVID-19" (PDF). World Health Organization. 31 August 2020. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- "Maldives launches loyalty program to attract tourists". MyNews 24x7. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- "COVID-19 weekly epidemiological update". World Health Organization. 3 November 2020. p. 21. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- Mohamed, Shahudha (30 November 2020). "COVID-19: Maldives records 17 new cases, 37 recoveries". The Edition. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- Mohamed, Shahudha (31 December 2020). "COVID-19: Maldives records 19 new cases, 16 recoveries". The Edition. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- Abdul Hadi, Ahmedulla (1 February 2021). "Positive virus cases from atolls on the rise, multiple islands under monitoring". Sun Media Group. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- Osmanagic, Ameera (31 January 2021). "Breaking: Vaccination in Maldives to begin tomorrow!". The Times of Addu. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- Faaiq, Ali (4 February 2021). "China to donate additional 100,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Maldives". The Times of Addu. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- Abdul Hadi, Ahmedulla (2 February 2021). "Health officials confirm spread of new COVID-19 variant in Maldives". Sun Media Group. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- "COVID-19 LOCAL UPDATES". Ministry of Health. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- "Maldives builds coronavirus quarantine resort". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- Davis, Dominic-Madori. "The Maldives government turned an abandoned island into a 'luxury' coronavirus quarantine facility". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- "Maldives converts luxury resorts to coronavirus quarantine centers". Nikkei Asian Review. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- "Maldives: Covid-19 Exposes Abuse of Migrants". Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on 3 September 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives. |
- Official website
- "COVID-19 pandemic - Maldives". global-monitoring.com.
- "Maldives Overview". Corona Tracker.
- "Maldives response to covid-19" (PDF). World Health Organization. 9 July 2020.
