Health Protection Agency HPA today has published a guideline for individuals who are tested positive for COVID-19 in the country.
As per the guideline, if a person is informed that he/she has been tested positive for COVID-19 while the individual is out of the house, HPA advises the person to don a surgical mask once notified and head home as soon as possible.
HPA also advises the person to walk home instead of traveling in a vehicle accompanied by another person.
It said that if the person is unable to work home, the person should travel as isolated as possible and wear a surgical mask at all times. It said that once the person reaches home, he/she should isolate themselves in a room alone, and if he/she is unable to isolate in a room alone should keep on wearing a surgical mask in the presence of other individuals who live in the same house.
If a person is notified of his/her positive result while residing at home, HPA advised the person to isolate themselves in a room alone. HPA also recommended that if he/she is unable to isolate in a room alone, they should keep on wearing a surgical mask in the presence of other individuals who live in the same house.
It also recommended others living in the same household to wear facemasks and maintain other safety measures.
According to the HPA guidelines, individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 must be isolated in a room with good ventilation and a separate toilet. It also noted that the utensils, linens, and towels used by the infected person should be kept separate.
The HPA guideline listed several responsibilities of a person infected with COVID-19 which includes packing the items that the person needs for his/her stay an isolation facility. It also stated that the person cannot refuse to be transferred to an isolation facility for the sake of his/her own health and that that of his/her family and others living in the same household.
The guideline also highlighted that positive patients should maintain a 3ft distance with other members of the household and remain isolated from elderly individuals and individuals with long-term illnesses.
HPA urged individuals tested positive for COVID-19 to register at HPA’s COVID-19 portal ‘Haalu Belun’. It advised such individuals to record their temperatures on a daily basis and update their health status on the portal.
The HPA confirmed 597 cases of COVID-19 in the country in the last five days with 143 new cases reported in the Maldives yesterday alone. A total of 5366 individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in the country with 2884 now declared cured of the illness.
But 2461 remained as active cases of COVID-19 with 150 hospitalized for further treatment.
The global pandemic has claimed 21 lives in the Maldives including that of 16 locals and 5 foreigners.
