Daily Covid-19 cases surge above 300, active cases top 3,300

Daily Covid-19 cases confirmed across the Maldives have surged above 300, with active cases topping 3,300 by Saturday’s end.

According to the latest figures publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), 337 new Covid-19 cases and 123 additional recoveries were confirmed across the archipelago nation between 6pm Friday and 6pm Saturday.

In the reporting period, public health authorities tested a total of 5,361 samples for the infection, of which 101 returned positive from the Greater Malé Region, 129 from residential islands outside the capital, 99 from operational resorts and two from a liveaboard vessel.

The public health authority went on to reveal that the location of six cases from Saturday remain undetermined.

Of the over 5,000 samples, 1,742 samples were tested across the capital, where the Covid-19 positivity rate sat at six percent by sundown on Saturday.

This means that the active coronavirus case count across the archipelago nation has risen to 3,300 from the previous day’s 3,086.

With this development, Maldives Covid-19 case tally currently sits at 97,668.

The additional recoveries reported have pushed the total number of patients who have recovered from the virus so far across the nation to 94,091.

Three patients were hospitalized for treatment in the reporting period, meaning 15 are currently receiving in-hospital treatment.

Although Maldives has been maintaining the Covid-19 caseload at low daily figures across the capital region in recent months, cases across the capital have been spiking in recent days. The public health authorities were reporting high figures from outlying atoll in recent months, however, the caseload across the capital has been spiking since New Year’s. As such, it has been six days since Maldives has been confirming more than 200 daily infections.

From the January 2 to 8, 1,777 new cases were confirmed nationwide. This is a high figure compared to the 856 recoveries reported over the past week.

Maldives reported its first Covid-19 fatality in April 2020 and since then, the death toll has risen to 264. Two Covid-19 fatalities have been confirmed so far in January 2022.

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.