Maldives government has confirmed the individual tested positive for COVID-19 in United Arab Emirates (UAE) is not a Maldivian national.
Speaking at a press conference, Spokesperson of National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) Mohamed Mabrouq Azeez stated the individual tested positive for COVID-19 in UAE is not a Maldivian national after UAE’s news agencies cited the government and reported that a Maldivian national tested positive for COVID-19 in UAE on March 24.
Mabrouq stated Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted the UAE government and confirmed the individual is not a Maldivian national. Mabrouq further said the details on the case shared by UAE authorities show the name of the individual to be an eastern European name. Therefore, it is believed that the person was misidentified as a Maldivian, and is likely from a country such as Moldova, which sounds similar to Maldives.
Moreover, a Maldivian doctor posted on Facebook his wife tested positive for the virus. However, the administration has yet not confirmed the news. While a total of 16 individuals tested positive for COVID-19 in Maldives 15 individuals are foreign nationals and only one is a local.
