Maldives has confirmed a record in daily Covid-19 infections this year, as the sample positivity rate across the capital region hikes to 36 percent.

According to the latest figures publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), 2,137 new Covid-19 cases and 642 additional recoveries were confirmed by sundown on Wednesday.

A total of 7,171 samples were tested for the infection in the reporting period, of which 3,361 samples were collected across the capital, where the Covid-19 positivity rate currently hiked to 36 percent between 6pm Tuesday and 6pm Wednesday.

1,219 of the over 2,000 new infections were detected from the congested capital, 547 across residential islands outside of the capital, 89 from operational resorts and four from a liveaboard vessel.

With this development, the active Covid-19 cases across Maldives have hiked to 9,574 from the previous day’s 8,079.

HPA revealed that this has pushed the Maldives total Covid-19 case count to 108,732.

The additional recoveries reported on Wednesday have pushed the total number of patients who have recovered from the virus across the country to 98,880.

Three more patients were hospitalized in the reporting period, with which the number of patients receiving in-hospital treatment for the infection has escalated to 43.

Maldives reported its first Covid-19 fatality in April 2020 and since then, the death toll has risen to 265. The latest victim was a Bangladeshi national who was pronounced dead by doctors at the health center of Feydhoo district in Addu City. Three Covid-19 fatalities have been confirmed so far in January 2022.

This is the 16th consecutive day Maldives has been reporting alarming daily figures, especially in the congested capital region.

Although Maldives had maintained the Covid-19 caseload at low daily figures across the capital region in recent months, cases across the capital have been spiking recently. The caseload across the capital has been spiking since New Year’s. As such, it has been eight days since Maldives has been confirming more than 200 daily infections. Due to this, HPA on Sunday tightened safety measures across the Greater Malé Region, effective Monday.

As such, gatherings, events and parties with more than 50 persons are disallowed, with those hosting such gatherings cautioned to follow the guidelines set by the authority. In addition, night and city markets have been prohibited, with sports activities closed off to the public as well. In addition to this, those traveling from the capital region will be required to present negative PCR certification valid 72 hours prior if they have passed 14 days since completing both doses of Covid-19 vaccine.

Further, those who have not completed their vaccine shots will be required to undergo a mandatory quarantine period of 14 days and will only be released upon a negative PCR result.

HPA stated that those who travel to islands from the capital in the next two days have the options to take a sample, travel and stay in quarantine until their results are obtained or to travel and stay in quarantine until tests are done and results are obtained.

The public health authority revealed that sample collection centers will be open at Thaajuddeen School, Villimalé and FAM building. The sample center at Social Center was relocation to Thaajuddeen School and a new one was opened at the FAM building due to growing demand following the travel restrictions.

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.

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.

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).

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.