Maldives reports 145 new Covid-19 cases, 359 recoveries

Maldives reported 145 new Covid-19 infections and 359 recoveries by sundown on Tuesday.

Latest statistics released by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that the new cases were confirmed through 4,548 samples tested between 6pm Monday and 6pm Tuesday.

The new cases include 61 in the Greater Malé Region, 77 from residential islands and seven from operational resorts.

Maldives Covid-19 case tally sits at 72,294 as of sundown on Tuesday, with the country’s active case tally dropping from 4,784 to 4,569 in 24 hours.

Maldives has observed a total of 67,507 recoveries since March 2020.

Currently, 39 patients are hospitalized for treatment, which means that five Covid-19 patients were moved from facilities in the past 24 hours. 32 patients are receiving treatment at the hospital ward and five in ICU, further two patients are receiving treatment on ventilator support in the ICU, currently.

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.

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

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

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

The public health authorities are working to publicize special guidelines under which salons and barber shops may resume services. Further, construction work has also been allowed to resume under the set guidelines and a special permit issued by the city council.

The travel restrictions between Malé City and residential islands remain effective including the restrictions on travelers from South Asian countries.

Currently there are 57 islands under monitoring due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

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