With two more Covid-19 fatalities reported in the early hours of Sunday, the Maldives' total Covid-19 death toll has reached 96.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) through their twitter account on Sunday confirmed the deceased as two patients who had been receiving treatment at Hulhumale' Medical Facility. The Maldives' 95th Covid-19 fatality had been an 81-year-old local man, who reportedly passed away at 2:38am on Sunday while admitted for treatment.

The 96th Covid-19 fatality followed just a few hours later with the passing of the 30-year-old woman who was also being treated at Hulhumale' Medical Facility. A diabetic patient, she was the youngest person to have died of Covid-19 or related health complications in the Maldives, and is survived by two children.

The pandemic has claimed 47 lives in the Maldives during 2021, 23 of which have been reported thus far in May. This is the highest number of deaths to have been reported in a month.

Authorities had earlier stressed that Covid-19 fatalities had doubled in count since January 2021. As such, while four deaths were observed in January, the number increased to 10 during February. Six Covid-19 fatalities were reported during March as well as April.

With an alarming spike in case count over the past few days, hospitalizations are also increasing in comparison to the past month. Currently there are 260 Covid-19 patients hospitalized for treatment.

Maldives active Covid-19 tally is currently at 15,666 with over 43,782 infections having been confirmed nationwide since the pandemic surfaced in the island nation on 7 March 2020. Authorities have imposed strict measures in the capital region as well as in outlying atolls in light of the spiking cases. As such, a 12-hour curfew is effective in Maldives capital from 4pm to 4am in authorities' efforts to slow the spread of the deadly infection.