Maldives reported 133 new Covid-19 cases and 351 recoveries with which the total number of recoveries observed from the virus thus far has been pushed to 70,325.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) in its nightly statistics revealed that the new cases were confirmed through 5,221 samples tested for coronavirus between 6pm Wednesday and 6pm Thursday.

72 new infections were detected from residential islands, 43 from the Greater Malé Region, 13 from operational resorts and five from islands under development.

This means that the country’s Covid-19 case count sits at 73,931 as of sundown on Thursday.

Over the past 24 hours active coronavirus cases across the island nation dropped to 3,381 from 3,602.

While 28 patients were hospitalized for Covid-19 treatment on Wednesday, the number has dropped to 24 by sundown on Thursday.

Not long after Maldives was able to control a spike in cases into the beginning of the year, the Covid-19 caseload began spiking in the beginning of May once again. This came not long after authorities lifted the measures in place before a fourth wave was confirmed, 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.

Measures were strengthened across the Maldives earlier in May with authorities having imposed a curfew in the capital region initially from 4pm to 4am. On 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, making it mandatory for residents to carry household permits to go out from 8am to 4pm. Following a decline in cases, once again public health authorities have reduced curfew hours in the capital thrice round.

The curfew hours are currently from 8pm to 4am, and mosques are also reopened for congregational prayers with social distancing. Authorities have also given the go ahead for cafés, restaurants and food outlets to resume dine-in services as well as allowed capital region residents to go out during non-curfew hours without a permit from July 1. All businesses are also to resume operations starting July 1.

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