Chief of Defense Force Major General Abdullah Shamaal says MNDF officers are most likely to be affected by the Covid-19 surge that is likely to hit the nation in the next two weeks.
Speaking in an interview given via online, Major General Shamaal said members of the armed forces are currently on the frontline of the fight against Covid-19 and that they are also protecting the nation’s security.
He said MNDF officers were working closely with positive cases of Covid-19 as well as suspected cases of the illness. He said for this reason when such a surge of cases hits the Maldives, MNDF officers are most likely to be stricken down with the illness. He noted that several officers have tested positive for Covid-19 and some are back on duty after recovering from the illness.
Health Protection Agency HPA has stopped announcing the number of MNDF officers tested positive for the virus with the latest figure reaching 20.
Major General Shamaal said although MNDF officers remain scattered at different facilities across the nation, they are still fulfilling their duties of safeguarding the nation’s security diligently. He added that the armed forces would not allow any party to compromise national security even during a crisis like the current Covid-19 pandemic.
