Maldives has confirmed 656 new Covid-19 cases alongside 702 additional recoveries.

According to the latest figures publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), a total of 4,191 samples were tested for the infection between 6pm Sunday and 6pm Monday.

Of these, 1,161 were collected across the capital where the Covid-19 positivity rate dropped to seven percent by sundown on Monday.

The new cases confirmed, include 79 detected from the Greater Malé Region, 497 from residential islands and 48 from operational resorts.

This means that active Covid-19 cases across Maldives have dropped further to 14,988 from the previous day’s 15,035.

Further, HPA revealed that the total number of recoveries confirmed across the archipelago nation thus far has been pushed to 150,436.

Maldives Covid-19 case tally has been pushed to 165,729.

One patient was released from the hospital in the reporting period of which hospital admissions have dropped to 23.

Maldives reported its first Covid-19 fatality in April 2020. The total number of deaths confirmed across the island nation sits at 292.

Although Maldives had maintained the Covid-19 caseload at low daily figures across the capital region nearing the end of 2021, cases across the capital have been spiking since the beginning of the year. Due to this, HPA has since tightened safety measures across the Greater Malé Region.

However, the public health authority 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.