Maldives has reported 1,128 new Covid-19 cases and 1,193 additional recoveries.

According to the latest figures publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), a total of 4,390 samples were tested for the virus between 6pm Friday and 6pm Saturday.

Of these, 1,076 samples were collected across the capital, where the Covid-19 positivity rate currently sits at 14 percent.

The location of 98 cases confirmed by sundown on Saturday, is yet to be determined.

The samples that returned positive include 155 from the congested capital, 806 across residential islands outside of the capital, 65 from operational resorts and four from a liveaboard vessel.

The country’s total Covid-19 case count currently sits at 158,031, with active cases having dropped to 16,161 from the previous day’s 16,227.

Further, the additional recoveries reported have pushed the total number of recoveries confirmed nationwide to 141,569.

Eight more patients were released from the hospital in the reporting period, with which the total number of Covid-19 patients receiving in-hospital treatment has dropped to 41.

Although cases had been rising to alarming levels in the past few weeks, the caseload declined over the past week, with 9,451 new cases having been confirmed nationwide between February 6 – 12. Recoveries confirmed also outnumbers the total number of infections reported last week. As such, 10,920 recoveries were reported. The highest rise in case was reported on Sunday at 1,757, with the lowest being at 986 on Friday.

Maldives reported its first Covid-19 fatality in April 2020. The total number of deaths confirmed across the island nation sits at 288.

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.

However, the public health authority has since eased measures for direct contacts of positive cases across the capital. As such, fully vaccinated direct contacts of Covid-19 positive cases will no longer be required to undergo a quarantine period, if they do not exhibit symptoms.

As such, those who have been fully vaccinated among those identified as direct contacts of positive cases, will not be required to undergo a quarantine period if they do not show symptoms.

Further, those who have been fully vaccinated among those identified as direct contacts of positive cases and do exhibit symptoms, will be required to undergo Antigen or PCR testing and will not be required to quarantine if their test results return negative for the novel coronavirus. However, they will be required to quarantine until their test results are obtained. These individuals will be required to undergo PCR testing after five days of coming into contact with a covid-stricken individual.

The public health authority went on to reveal that individuals may only use the Covid-19 rapid antigen self-test kits if they have symptoms and should they test positive, they will be required to follow the steps mentioned in the publication.

The isolation period or quarantine period of these individuals will only be documented by the authority if they undergo Covid-19 testing at a registered laboratory or healthcare facility.

The public has been urged to strictly adhere to the safety guidelines in place, in order to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The country has been in a state of public health emergency for nearly two years now, since 12 March 2020. The last extension is set to expire on February 28.