The Maldives' Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) on Monday night called to end prejudice and discrimination against individuals that test positive for COVID-19, describing the stigma as "worse than the virus".

HEOC spokesperson and Health Protection Agency (HPA)'s Medical Officer Dr Nazla Rafeeq made the statement in the wake of an incident where a group of people prevented a patient from being brought onto their island earlier the same day.

A number of people on Villingili, Gaafu Alif Atoll, held a protest and obstructed authorities from bringing an elderly man, aged 68, who tested positive for COVID-19 from Thinadhoo, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, onto Villingili to be hospitalised at the island's COVID-19 management facility.

https://edition.mv/news/18843