Maldives confirmed 2,349 new Covid-19 cases out of which 1,325 were detected from the congested capital on Saturday.

According to the latest figures publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), 2,349 new Covid-19 cases and 849 additional recoveries were confirmed between 6pm Friday and 6pm Saturday.

Of the over 2,000 new infections, 1,325 were detected from the congested capital, 681 across residential islands outside of the capital and 54 from operational resorts.

A total of 7,574 samples were tested for the infection in the reporting period, of which 3,635 samples were collected across the capital, where the Covid-19 positivity rate sat at 36 percent by sundown on Saturday.

This means that active Covid-19 cases across Maldives have hiked to 13,035 from the previous day’s 11,535.

With this development, the country’s total Covid-19 case count has been pushed to 114,977.

Further, the additional recoveries reported on Friday have pushed the total number of patients who have recovered from the virus across the country to 101,660.

Hospital admissions dropped to 48 in the reporting period, with the release of one patient.

This is the 18th consecutive day Maldives has been reporting alarming daily figures.

Maldives reported its first Covid-19 fatality in April 2020 and since then, the death toll has risen to 270. The latest victim was reported on January 23, with the death of a 42-year-old Maldivian woman who was being treated at the Intensive Care Unit of Hulhumalé Medical Facility. Eight Covid-19 fatalities have been confirmed so far this year.

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 five days since Maldives has been confirming more than 1,000 daily infections. Due to this, HPA recently tightened safety measures across the Greater Malé Region.

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.

The public health authority revealed that sample collection centers will be open at Social Center, Villimalé and Hulhumalé.

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.