Maldives continues to report low single-day Covid-19 case numbers, as the country’s total coronavirus case count exceeds the 74,000-mark.
According to the latest statistics publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), 143 new cases were confirmed from the 4,355 samples tested for coronavirus between 6pm Thursday and 6pm Friday.
The new cases include 104 across residential islands, 26 in the Greater Malé Region, eight from operational resorts and five from islands under development.
The public health authority also reported 165 recoveries with which the total number of recoveries observed from the virus thus far has been pushed to 70,490.
As of sundown on Friday, Maldives Covid-19 tally sits at 74,074.
Over the past 24 hours active coronavirus cases across the island nation dropped to 3,359 from 3,381.
One more Covid-19 patient was moved from a hospital over the past 24 hours, meaning that the number of hospital admissions is currently at 23.
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.