Single-day Covid-19 infections decline as Maldives reports record number of recoveries

Single-day infections of the global Covid-19 pandemic being reported in the Maldives continues to decline, as the number of recoveries reported in 24 hours exceed 2,000.

According to the latest statistics publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), Maldives confirmed 648 new cases of Covid-19 between 6pm Wednesday and 6pm Thursday.

Healthcare workers tested a total of 3,832 samples for Covid-19 between 6pm Wednesday and 6pm Thursday.

The new infections include 349 reported in the Greater Malé Region, 270 from residential islands and 13 from operational resorts. Further, 16 infections were also confirmed from islands under development.

It has been over a week since public health authorities have been reporting less than 1,000 new infections across the congested capital region, also the Covid-19 epicenter of Maldives.

With this development Maldives active Covid-19 cases have dropped to 22,375 from 23,909 within 24 hours.

Over the past 24 hours, a record total of 2,180 recoveries were reported, pushing the number of recoveries observed nationwide to 43,959.

Maldives Covid-19 case tally currently sits at 66,516.

Statistics go on to reveal that the number of hospital admissions is currently at 213, which means that 16 more Covid-19 patients were hospitalized for treatment over the past 24 hours. This comes at a time authorities have stressed that hospital admissions have been increasing over recent weeks.

The Covid-19 caseload began spiking into the beginning of May, at a time Maldives was able to control a spike in cases into the beginning of the new year, with strengthened measures such as a curfew period and travel restrictions. However, authorities lifted the measures in place in time for the fasting month of Ramadan 1442 as well as the Local Council and Women’s Development Committee elections held in mid-April, which led to the caseload increasing like never observed before.

Measures were strengthened across the Maldives earlier in May with authorities having imposed a curfew in the capital region from 4pm to 4am. Effective May 26, the curfew hours have been extended from 4pm to 8am and authorities have also imposed movement restrictions for capital region residents outside the curfew hours. Other measures include disallowing dine-in and takeaway services, allowing delivery services for shops, restaurants and cafés with permits from 6am to 12am. The Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) revealed that special permits are required to go out from 8am to 4pm.

HPA revealed that two household permits are granted to each residence, of which one permit allows the resident to go out between 8am and 12pm, the other permit holder may go out between 12pm and 4pm. During this period travel between Malé and Hulhumalé is banned. Malé residents are allowed to travel to Villimalé. Since the measures were implemented, cases have been gradually declining.