Covid-19: reported daily infections above 50 for over a week

Daily Covid-19 infections reported from the Maldives has been above 50 for over a week.

65 new cases were reported on Friday, out of over 2,800 samples tested within 24 hours. 505 new cases were reported over the last eight days, with the highest daily rise in months reported on January 17; at 87.

While Friday’s numbers push the country’s Covid-19 total to 14,830, most were detected from the Covid-19 epicenter, capital Male’ area. 38 cases were confirmed from this area, with 26 from resorts and one from a residential island.

Further, with the 48 additional recoveries reported on Friday, 13,731 patients have recovered in the island nation. There have been 50 deaths, with the last one, a 77-year-old local man, reported on Thursday.

Active cases are at 1,042 currently.

Reported daily infections were relatively low at the start December last year, however, it started increasing gradually towards the end of the month.

While Maldives' first Covid-19 cases were confirmed from resorts in March, a community transmission was detected on April 15. This led to a complete lockdown in the capital, as well as a partial lockdown across the country with travel between islands banned. Lockdown easing began in late-May.

Measures were strengthened again following a second surge, and authorities have been gradually lifting them following the decline in daily cases seen since September 2020, especially in the capital, with the curfew in effect since August lifted in December.

However, the nationwide state of public health emergency remains 10 months after declaration, with the last extension announced earlier this month.