Maldives has confirmed 1,037 new Covid-19 cases and 1,073 additional recoveries.

According to the latest figures publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), a total of 4,061 samples were tested for the virus between 6pm Monday and 6pm Tuesday, of which 1,252 samples were collected across the capital, where the Covid-19 positivity rate sits at 11 percent.

In the reporting period, 136 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed from the congested capital, 828 across residential islands outside of the capital and 41 from operational resorts.

Further, Tuesday’s cases included 32 for which the location is yet to be determined.

This has pushed the country’s total Covid-19 case count to 161,113.

The public health authority went on to reveal that active Covid-19 cases across the island nation have dropped to 15,782 from the previous day’s 15,818.

In addition to this, the recoveries reported on Tuesday have pushed the total number of recoveries confirmed nationwide to 145,029.

The total number of Covid-19 patients receiving in-hospital treatment has risen to 30, with one more patient hospitalized in the reporting period.

Maldives reported its first Covid-19 fatality in April 2020. The total number of deaths confirmed across the island nation sits at 289.

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.