| 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 (4 years, 5 months, 2 weeks and 1 day) |
| 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. [57]
| 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. [58] [59]
According to Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed, the Maldives had 2,288 beds available for quarantine as of late March 2020. [59]
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. [60]
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. [61]
| 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 |
Israel–Maldives relations refer to foreign relations between Israel and the Maldives. The countries had diplomatic relations from 1965 to 1974. From 2012 to 2017, they maintained cooperation agreements, but did not restore full diplomatic relations. In 2024, the Maldives banned Israeli passport holders from entering the nation due to the Israeli government's conduct in the Israel–Hamas war.
The COVID-19 pandemic in San Marino was a part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached San Marino in February 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Egypt on 14 February 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Togo was a part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Togo in March 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia was a part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The first imported case in Cambodia was detected in Sihanoukville on 27 January 2020. Although a number of imported cases and transmission to direct contacts were confirmed throughout 2020, no community transmission was detected until 29 November 2020. As of July 2021, Phnom Penh has been the most affected province with the majority of infections and deaths. Banteay Meanchey has the second-highest number of infections, whereas Kandal has second-highest number of deaths.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Panama was a part of the worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have spread to Panama on 9 March 2020. One of the dead was a 64-year-old male, who also had diabetes and pneumonia. Of those infected, 83 were hospitalized. The infected individuals belonged to the 29-59 age group and had each recently travelled abroad. A 13-year-old girl died of COVID-19 on 23 March 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Sudan was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Sudan in March 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Guinea was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Guinea in March 2020.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Libya on 24 March 2020, when the first case was officially confirmed in Tripoli.
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Somalia on 16 March 2020 when the first case was confirmed in Mogadishu. The Somali Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khaire announced that the government has set aside five million dollars to deal with the disease. The Somali Medical Association is concerned that the death toll in the country will be huge and that Somalia will not be able to recover from the economic effects due to poor working relations between central government and federal states which leads to lack of control by central government, as well and the lack of healthcare infrastructure. It has also been speculated that President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed may use the pandemic as an excuse to postpone elections. There have also been concerns over freedom of the press following arrests and intimidation of journalists who have been covering the pandemic in Somalia.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Papua New Guinea on 20 March 2020. On 4 May 2020, Papua New Guinea was declared COVID-19 free. However, on 20 June, the government confirmed another case of COVID-19, meaning that the disease was present again within the country.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Benin was a part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Benin in March 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Burundi is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Burundi on 25 March 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritania was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Mauritania in March 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Uganda in March 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic in São Tomé and Príncipe is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached São Tomé and Príncipe on 6 April 2020. The first death was recorded on 30 April.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Vanuatu on 11 November 2020.
Countries and territories in South Asia have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The first South Asian country to report a confirmed case was Nepal, which documented its first case on 23 January 2020, in a man who had returned from Wuhan on 9 January. As of 2 July, at least one case of COVID-19 has been reported in every country in South Asia. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Maldives have implemented lockdowns, Sri Lanka has responded with quarantine curfews while India and Nepal have declared a country-wide lockdown. Countries have also instituted various levels of restrictions on international travel, some countries have completely sealed off their land borders and grounded most international flights.
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.
Maldives–Palestine relations refer to foreign relations between the Maldives and the State of Palestine. The Maldives supports an independent Palestine.
