Maldives reported 224 new infections as well as 1,937 recoveries from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic by sundown on Sunday.

Latest statistics publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that the new cases were confirmed though 3,734 samples collected for Covid-19 testing between 6pm Saturday and 6pm Sunday.

This development has pushed the Maldives Covid-19 case tally to 70,301 and the total number of recoveries observed nationwide since March 2020, to 60,769.

The new infections include 113 reported in the Greater Malé Region, 104 from residential islands and seven from operational resorts.

With this development Maldives active Covid-19 cases have dropped to 9,326 from 11,041 within 24 hours.

Statistics go on to reveal that the number of hospital admissions is currently 88. This means that nine 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.