K. Male'
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12 Nov 2021 | Fri 16:32
Samples collected for Covid-19 testing
Samples collected for Covid-19 testing
Health Protection Agency
Covid-19 community transmission
Maldives reports 109 new Covid-19 cases, 114 additional recoveries
The total number of recoveries confirmed nationwide have been pushed to 87,013
Maldives active coronavirus case count dropped slightly, to 2,091
One more patient was released from the hospital in the reporting period
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Maldives reported 109 new Covid-19 cases and 114 additional recoveries by sundown on Thursday.

According to the latest figures publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), 2,907 samples were tested for the virus between 6pm Wednesday and 6pm Thursday.

Of these, 79 cases were confirmed from outlying atolls, 20 from the Greater Malé Region and 10 from operational resorts.

This means that the country’s Covid-19 case tally has risen to 89,364, since the discovery of the virus in the Maldives back in March 2020.

With the additional recoveries confirmed, the total number of recoveries confirmed nationwide have been pushed to 87,013.

Maldives active coronavirus case count dropped slightly, to 2,091 from the previous day’s 2,097 in the reporting period.

One more patient was released from the hospital in the reporting period, with which hospital admissions have dropped to 14.

Although Maldives had observed declining Covid-19 cases especially in the capital region over recent months, daily coronavirus infections being reported in recent days have been spiking, especially in outlying atolls.

Maldives reported its first Covid-19 fatality in April 2020 and since then, the death toll has risen to 247. The latest victim was reported when an 81-year-old local man died from complications while receiving treatment at Addu Covid Management Facility, early Thursday. This is the fourth Covid-19 fatality reported in November.

The country has been in a state of public health emergency for over a year, since 12 March 2020. It has been extended a 20th time to expire on November 30.

Since the easing of restrictive measures against Covid-19 in July for the extensive government holidays, after Maldives was faced by a fourth and more infectious coronavirus wave in early May, citizens especially across the Greater Malé Region have been easing their way back to life in normalcy. Although life is far from reaching normal yet, the government's resilience to vaccinate the entire nation has revived hopes of eases from further burden, in the new normal.

The country has been free from further restrictions for nearly four months however, the authorities continue to remind the public to be vigilant as the country heads down the road to full recovery from the impacts of Covid-19. As such HPA continues to practice caution as the pandemic is far from being controlled, despite declining numbers in recent months.

The public health authority responded to an alarming surge in cases following new years and in early May after the eases were given for the local elections in April. The month that followed saw cases rising to distressing levels, at 1,000 almost every day. With the implementation of stricter measures, cases began declining around July.

With doubled eases, those who have completed both doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been allowed to travel domestically without the need to quarantine, with a negative PCR test result.

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.

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