COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives
The COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 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. 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. 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.
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. 572 foreigners have tested positive in the country with 416 Bangladeshi migrant workers have tested positive for the virus. The Maldivian government plans to relocate 3,000 Bangladeshi foreign workers to other islands in order to enable social distancing.
Background
On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization 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.The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.
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 has been tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to Italy. On 9 March, the Maldives confirmed two other COVID-19 cases have been tested positive. They are both tourists. As of 29 March, there are 17 positive cases of COVID-19.The Maldives declared a public health emergency over COVID-19 on 12 March. As of 19 March 2020, the Maldives has 13 positive cases and the lockdown status on Vilamendhoo and Bathala has been lifted.
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.
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.May 2020
June 2020
July 2020
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 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.
| Country | Effective Date | Source |
| China | Active from 4 February 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| Iran | Active from 26 February 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| South Korea | 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 | Active from 15 March 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| Spain | Active from 15 March 2020 | Ministry of Health |
| France | 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.According to Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed, the Maldives had 2,288 beds available for quarantine as of late March 2020.