Maldives has restricted movement within the islands while capital Male is under lockdown following confirmation of another four positive cases of COVID19 from capital Male.

Government issued an order last night prohibiting travel between all inhabited islands from this evening, unless essential, though movement within the islands have not been banned as of now. Gatherings of any kind have been banned and people advised to maintain social distancing.

Health authorities warned of vast spread of pandemic in the country, if people do not strictly adhere to the instructions. The decision to strengthen measures across the country came two days after the first community case of Covid-19 was confirmed in Male on Wednesday.

Four more persons who had come in contact with the first person also tested positive yesterday. Over two hundred contacts of these patients are being tested currently, of them several dozen are said to be high-risk contacts. Further, 22 households across the country have been placed under monitoring, after authorities determined that its residents had come into contact with the first case.

So far, there have been 25 confirmed cases in Maldives, majority of them foreign tourists. Out of this number, 16 patients have recovered and currently being treated are all local cases.