Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) has revealed over 500 cases of COVID-19 have been reported so far this week, most of which have no connection to an existing cluster.
Speaking at a press conference held at the HEOC, Dr. Nazla Musthafa from the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) said COVID-19 is spreading in the Maldives at an alarming rate, noting the spread is currently faster than when the disease was first detected in the country. As such, she noted 500 cases were reported between July 21 and July 28, which is the fastest duration for an increment of 500 cases in the Maldives.
Speaking further, Dr. Nazla said most of the recent cases have no connection to any of the existing clusters. In this regard, she revealed 272 cases detected in July are not linked to any clusters, compared to 104 such cases in June and 90 such cases in May. She also noted 148 new clusters have been identified in July, compared to 78 clusters in June and 40 clusters in May.
The doctor further highlighted most of the contacts traced from recent COVID-19 cases are from offices, cafes, restaurants and healthcare facilities. She highlighted the importance of practicing personal safety measures in order to restrict the transmission of COVID-19, noting the outbreak could incapacitate the healthcare system if it continues to accelerate.