| COVID-19 pandemic in Maldives | |
|---|---|
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Maldives |
| First outbreak | Wuhan, Hubei, China, via Italy |
| Index case | Kuredu Resort & Spa |
| Arrival date | 7 March 2020 (3 years, 11 months, 2 weeks and 2 days) |
| Confirmed cases | 186,694 [1] |
| Recovered | 186,371 (updated 23 July 2023) [2] |
Deaths | 316 [1] |
| Fatality rate | 0.17% |
| Government website | |
| covid19 | |
The COVID-19 pandemic in Maldives was a 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 Maldives on 7 March 2020 from a 69-year-old Italian tourist who had returned to Italy after spending holidays in Kuredu Resort & Spa. [3] [4] The Health Protection Agency of Maldives confirmed two cases in Maldives, both employees of the resort. Following this, the hotel was locked down with several tourists stranded on the island. [5] As of 11 March, the resorts of Kuredu, Vilamendhoo, Batalaa, and Kuramathi island were also placed under temporary quarantine. Schools were closed as a precaution. [6]
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. [7] 2,420 foreigners have tested positive in the country with 1,857 Bangladeshi migrant workers have tested positive for the virus. [8] The Maldivian government plans to relocate 3,000 Bangladeshi foreign workers to other islands in order to enable social distancing. [9]
As of May 24, 2021, Maldives had the world's fastest-growing COVID-19 epidemic, with the highest number of infections per million people over the prior 7 and 14 days, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
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, Hubei, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019. [10] [11]
The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, [12] [13] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll. [14] [12]
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
| Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
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. [56]
| 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 |
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. [57] [58]
According to Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed, the Maldives had 2,288 beds available for quarantine as of late March 2020. [58]
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. [59]
Migrant workers in Maldives have been reported to face harsh treatment from their employers, such as wage theft, unsafe living and working conditions, passport confiscation, and deceptive recruitment practices. According to an 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. [60]
| 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 |
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Umar Zahir was a Maldivian politician. He was the first sports minister of the Maldives, serving from 1988 to 1993. As public works minister from 1993 to 2004, he oversaw the first construction phase of Hulhumalé, as well as the construction of Thilafushi and the Malé seawall.
