A record number of Covid-19 cases has been reported on Thursday, since the government began the lockdown ease plan.

Maldives confirmed a total of 152 new cases of the infection on Thursday.

This is out of the 1,492 samples collected within the past 24 hours and the new cases include 89 Maldivians, 54 Bangladeshi nationals, five Indian nationals and four Sri Lankan nationals.

Spokesperson of the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) Dr. Nazla Rafeeq revealed during a press briefing that 142 out of the new cases were from the Greater Malé Region whereas 10 new cases were reported from the outlying atolls.

With this development, the country’s Covid-19 case count has been pushed to 3,719.

The number of active cases in the country currently sits at 1,120.

Further, 14 recoveries were also reported on Thursday, with which recoveries have risen to 2,568.

Statistics of the Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that a total of 657 individuals are receiving treatment at isolation facilities with 59 individuals hospitalized. While there are no patients at the 11th floor of Dharumavantha Hospital, five are being treated at the 16th floor of the establishment.

59 patients are currently receiving treatment at Hulhumalé Medical Facility, with 56 in the ward, three in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and two placed on ventilator support.

Authorities also released 27 individuals from quarantine facilities in atolls, by 6pm Thursday.