Maldives has confirmed 2,609 new Covid-19 cases alongside 1,663 additional recoveries.

According to the latest figures publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), a total of 7,584 samples were tested for the infection between 6pm Monday and 6pm Tuesday.

Of these, 1,427 returned positive from the congested capital, 783 across residential islands outside of the capital and 109 from operational resorts.

HPA revealed that the location of 290 cases is yet to be determined.

In the reporting period, 3,963 samples were collected across the capital, where the Covid-19 positivity rate sat at 36 percent by sundown on Tuesday.

With this development, the country’s active Covid-19 cases have hiked to 16,666 from the previous day’s 15,721.

As of sundown on Tuesday, Maldives total Covid-19 case count has been pushed to 122,777.

The additional recoveries reported on Tuesday pushed the total number of patients who have recovered from the virus across the country to 105,827.

Five more patients were hospitalized in the reporting period, with which hospital admissions rose to 57.

This is the 21st 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 272. Two Covid-19 victims were reported in the past 24 hours. 10 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. 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.