Covid-19: 67 new cases, 13 recoveries reported on Monday

Maldives confirmed 67 new Covid-19 cases on Monday.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that 67 new infections were reported by 6pm Monday and that the new cases include 43 Maldivians, 14 Bangladeshi nationals, six Indian nationals, three Indonesian nationals and an American.

With this development, the country’s Covid-19 case count has risen to 3,369.

Further, 13 recoveries were reported on Monday, pushing the number of recoveries to 2,547 from 2,534.

Statistics also show that there are currently 602 individuals in isolation facilities.

Having observed 15 deaths to the pandemic thus far, Maldives currently has 792 active cases.

On Monday, authorities reported that a tourist, the American national, contracted the virus and is the first case of a tourist testing positive for the infection since the Maldives reopened its borders for internationals travel on July 15.

The American national was at Cheval Blanc Randheli when tested positive, and in in the Maldives on a tourist visa.

He had not exhibited any symptoms of the virus when tested for the infection.

Within the first ten days since the island nation opened its borders for international travel, over 900 tourists had arrived. Maldives closed its borders for tourism on March 27 due to the infection.

The number of locals testing positive for the virus is significantly high in comparison to when the first community transmission was detected in the Greater Malé Region on April 15. This provoked a region-wide lockdown which the government began easing on May 29.

Since then, the number of locals testing positive for the virus has spiked and authorities stressed that most cases are being reported from government offices, which were opened on July 5.