Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has called to reintroduce “more stringent measures” against the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as to ensure that they are strictly implemented to control the spread of this deadly disease.

Gayoom, who ruled the nation for 30 years until 2008, made the appeal via Twitter following “the current sharp increase” of Covid-19 infection and related deaths.

As such, 33 new Covid-19 cases were reported on Sunday while 25 new cases were confirmed the previous day. Maldives has reported a total of 2,435 Covid-19 cases thus far.

While Gayoom also noted the increase in Covid-19 related deaths, two have already been reported this week; a 77-year-old Maldivian woman passed away on Sunday while an 80-year-old man succumbed to the virus on Monday.

The country reported two deaths to Covid-19 last week as well, while a third patient’s death was ruled “not Covid-19 related”. According to authorities, his primary cause of death was stage four cancer.

And while 2,049 patients have recovered from the virus thus far, there are currently 403 active cases in the country.

Maldives' first Covid-19 cases were confirmed from a resort on March 7, and a community transmission was detected in the capital on April 15. While a lockdown was imposed in the city immediately, authorities began easing lockdown on May 29. The country is currently in phase three of the ease plan, with plans to reopen borders and restart the tourism industry on July 15.