Active Covid-19 cases across Maldives have dropped to 10,661.

According to the latest figures publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), 291 new Covid-19 infections and 2,150 additional recoveries were confirmed between 6pm Saturday and 6pm Sunday.

In the reporting period, public health authorities tested a total of 2,103 samples were tested for the infection of which 341 were collected across the capital.

The new cases confirmed by sundown on Sunday include 44 detected from the Greater Malé Region, 229 from residential islands outside of the capital region and 11 from operational resorts as well.

With this development active Covid-19 cases across Maldives dropped by 1,859 cases.

Maldives Covid-19 case tally currently sits at 174,658.

The location of seven cases confirmed on Sunday is yet to be determined.

The public health authority went on to reveal that the total number of recoveries confirmed across the archipelago nation has been pushed to 163,687.

Hospital admissions remain unchanged from the previous day, at four.

Maldives reported its first Covid-19 fatality in April 2020. The total number of deaths confirmed across the island nation sits at 297.

The state of public health emergency declared nationwide on 12 March 2020, has been dissolved starting 13 March 2022.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed this via a press conference where the Director General of Public Health Maimoona Aboobakuru and Head of Communicable Diseases Division of HPA, Dr. Fathmath Nazla Rafeeq announced a number of eases to tightened health and safety restrictions in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19 across the island nation.

As such, the face mask mandate that came into effect across the Maldives in February 2021, has been dissolved.

During the presser, Dr. Nazla revealed that even though face masks are no longer mandatory, the public will be required to continue the use of face masks where healthcare services are being provided, including staff, patients and visitors.

Further, the residents of islands or regions where the Covid-19 positivity rate is higher than 20 percent, are still required to use face masks.

The public health authority went on to encourage the public to continue the use of face masks if they are considered high risk or have high risk individuals in their circle, when out in public, if they exhibit symptoms, if they attend gatherings or events with large crowds of people, while using public transport vehicles like taxis, busses and ferries as well as while attending indoor activities and other places where public services are provided.

The changes were brought following thorough analysis and monitoring the situation revolving around the pandemic, currently.

As such, some of the key points taken into consideration when revoking the state of public health emergency, a little over two years since it was imposed, include the fact that the Covid-19 situation in most islands and regions is improving as well as the authorities’ success in maintaining hospitalization and death rates at a lower rate.

Further, HPA revealed that a majority of the population has complete a primary series vaccination, as booster dose administration continues to increase.

It was also revealed that Covid-19 response will continue according to the ‘Covid-19 Strategy’ and measures will be taken according to the prevailing Covid-19 situation, even though the public health emergency has been revoked.

Further, inbound travelers can now enter Maldives without presenting negative PCR certification and travelers are no longer required to present PCR test results, even if they haven’t completed the Covid-19 vaccination.

Another restriction that was eased starting 13 March 2022, is revoking the mandatory quarantine period for inbound travelers, even if they can have not been fully vaccinated.

Despite these eases, testing for symptomatic persons, isolation for positive persons and quarantine for contacts of positive cases will continue.

This comes at a time Maldives recently went through an overwhelming peak of Covid-19, following the celebrations to ring in the new year.