Single-day Covid-19 cases below 100 in Malé for second consecutive day

For a second consecutive day, Maldives has reported lower than 100 new Covid-19 infections across the virus epicenter, the Greater Malé Region.

According to the latest statistics released by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), a total of 218 new coronavirus cases were detected nationwide between 6pm Wednesday and 6pm Thursday.

The new cases were confirmed from 4,247 samples tested between 6pm Wednesday and 6pm Thursday.

Of this, 86 were confirmed across the congested Malé City, whereas 116 cases were from residential islands, 13 from operational resorts and three from islands under development.

This pushes Maldives Covid-19 case tally to 71,356.

Over the past 24 hours Maldives confirmed 1,034 recoveries with which the total number of recoveries confirmed nationwide has reached 64,214.

Further, HPA confirmed that the country’s active Covid-19 tally has dropped to 6,930 from 7,747 in a single day.

The number of hospital admissions remains unchanged from the previous day at 67.

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 were extended from 4pm to 8am and authorities also imposed movement restrictions for capital region residents outside the curfew hours. The Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) revealed that special permits are required to go out from 8am to 4pm. Since then, the measures have been extended two times round and was last extended for another fortnight from June 15.

However, the public health authority on June 15 Tuesday reduced curfew hours in the capital region from 4pm to 4am.

Some of the other restrictions that will be eased include allowing individual exercises in public between 4am to 8am without the need for a permit.

Mosques across the capital region will be opened for individual prayers. Schools as well as offices and state institutions are to remain closed for another fortnight, as well as the halt on sports activities.

Dr. Nazla added that the public health authorities are working to publicize special guidelines under which salons and barber shops may resume services. Further, construction work will also be allowed to resume under the set guidelines and a special permit issued by the city council.

While some eases were announced on Tuesday, no changes have been made to domestic travel, between Malé City and residential islands. The travel restrictions will remain effective including the restrictions on travelers from South Asian countries.

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