Maldives confirms highest daily rise in Covid-19 cases across capital, in months

Covid-19 cases confirmed across Maldives’ congested capital surpasses 100 after months of reporting low figures.

Latest figures publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that between 6pm Tuesday and 6pm Wednesday, 224 new Covid-19 cases and 192 additional recoveries were confirmed across the archipelago nation.

This is the third consecutive day Maldives has confirmed over 200 coronavirus cases.

A total of 4,130 samples were tested for the infection in the reporting period, of which 102 returned positive from the Greater Malé Region, 48 from residential islands outside the capital and 74 from operational resorts.

This means that the active coronavirus case count across the archipelago nation has risen to 2,734 from the previous day’s 2,702.

By sundown on Wednesday, Maldives Covid-19 case tally sat at 96,746.

HPA revealed that the additional recoveries reported have pushed the total number of patients who have recovered from the virus so far across the nation has been pushed to 93,736.

Further, one more patient was hospitalized by sundown on Wednesday, meaning a total of 13 patients are currently receiving in-hospital treatment.

Maldives reported its first Covid-19 fatality in April 2020 and since then, the death toll has risen to 263. The latest victim was identified as an 82-year-old Maldivian man who was receiving treatment at Addu Covid Management Facility before being pronounced dead early Tuesday.

Maldives confirmed the first case of the new, more transmissible variant of Covid-19, ‘Omicron’ on 5 December 2021. Since then, the public health authority has revealed that more cases have been surfacing.

The public health authority urged caution over the confirmation of ‘Omicron’ in the Maldives, pushing the public to take the necessary precautions for their safety and for the safety of others and to pay special heed to the instructions and guidelines set forth by the authorities.

HPA stressed on the importance of adhering to safety measures to avoid another Covid-19 wave from hitting the Maldives and urged the public to provide their full support and cooperation in helping authorities curb the spread of the infection.

Research indicates that those who have recovered from Covid-19 are at a high risk of contracting the new variant, dubbed a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO).

At a time the caseload has been spiking, the island nation recently celebrated the New Year, where large groups of people thronged the capital’s suburbs and other regions to welcome the new year. It is to be noted that the caseload hiked following the New Year last year as well.

The public has been urged to get vaccinated, adhere to guidelines set place in hosting events and gatherings and even in the work environment to prevent the risk of widespread infection.

The country has been in a state of public health emergency for nearly two years now, since 12 March 2020. It was extended a 22nd time to expire on January 29.