MALE, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-two staff members of the Velena International Airport's (VIA) Cargo Department in the Maldives tested positive for COVID-19, local media reported Tuesday.
Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) Spokesperson Dr. Fathimath Nazla Rafeeq was quoted by state-owned PSM news as saying that the first case at the VIA was reported on Nov. 5, with a further 21 cases discovered through contact tracing by Monday.
A further 27 contacts of the cluster have been placed under quarantine, while 136 samples were collected for testing from the VIA on Sunday.
Dr. Rafeeq said that the rate of positive cases from COVID-19 tests at flu clinics has risen to 6 percent in the last two weeks, compared to 4 percent in the preceding two weeks.
The spokesperson said that the rising positivity rate was an alarming sign of failure to comply with guidelines set out by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
According to the HPA, the Maldives has confirmed 12,314 cases of COVID-19 so far, with 11,416 recoveries and 44 deaths. The country has 947 active cases across 10 inhabited islands and 26 resorts. Enditem
