Maldives Covid-19 tally has surpassed the 70,000-mark with 246 new infections reported over the past 24 hours.

Latest statistics publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that the new cases were confirmed though 4,788 samples collected for Covid-19 testing between 6pm Friday and 6pm Saturday.

The new infections include 88 reported in the Greater Malé Region, 137 from residential islands, 13 from operational resorts as well as eight infections from islands under development. This is the first time in weeks that the single-day case count has dropped below 100 in the capital region.

Maldives Covid-19 case tally currently sits at 70,077.

With this development Maldives active Covid-19 cases have dropped to 11,041 from 13,071 within 24 hours.

A record total of 2,273 recoveries were reported by sundown on Saturday, pushing the number of recoveries observed nationwide to 58,832.

Statistics go on to reveal that the number of hospital admissions is currently below 100, at 97. This means that 14 patients were moved from hospitals over the past 24 hours.

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.

Maldives remains in a state of public health emergency since 12 March 2020 and was last extended to expire on 3 July.