With 72 new Covid-19 cases confirmed by sundown on Sunday, Maldives Covid-19 case tally has reached 84,362.

According to the latest figures publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), 4,632 samples were tested for the virus between 6pm Saturday and 6pm Sunday.

36 persons residing in outlying atolls tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours whereas 31 new cases were detected from the capital, Malé City. Four cases were confirmed in operational resorts and one from a liveaboard vessel.

An additional 135 recoveries observed by sundown on Sunday has pushed the total number of recoveries observed nationwide so far, to 82,567.

With this development, Maldives active coronavirus case count has dropped further to 1,614.

Five more patients were hospitalized over the reporting period, with which hospital admissions have reached 20.

Maldives reported its first Covid-19 fatality in April 2020. Since then, the death toll has been pushed to 231. The latest fatality was confirmed on Saturday afternoon, when an 80-year-old Maldivian man being treated at the Covid Management Facility in Shaviyani atoll succumbed to the virus.

The geographical advantage of being comprised of a scatter of islands initially enabled Maldives to keep tabs on the spread of coronavirus when the first few cases surfaced. Things spiraled out of control after a community transmission was detected in the congested capital on 15 April 2020 to which authorities responded by imposing an immediate lockdown.

Months later, authorities began easing the lockdown in phases, with cases going on a downward spiral. Things seemed to be in control until the new year rolled around and cases began spiraling once more. Since April 2020, authorities have been repeating a cycle of curfews, lockdowns, partial lockdowns and other restrictive measures in their successful efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

Maldives was faced by a fourth and more infectious coronavirus wave in early May, with cases rising to alarming levels at 1,000 on a daily basis. With the implementation of stricter measures, cases began declining once again, and authorities introduced further eases to restrictions in early July for the extensive government holidays.

Eases have been doubling with those that have completed both doses of Covid-19 vaccine allowed to travel domestically without the need to quarantine, with a negative PCR test result. HPA has since publicized a list of islands where the criteria for Covid-19 vaccination coverage conditions have been met.

The country has been in a state of public health emergency for over a year, since 12 March 2020. It was extended an 18th time to expire on October 1.