Covid-19: 124 new cases, 104 recoveries confirmed on Wednesday

124 new cases of Covid-19 were detected in the Maldives by sundown on Wednesday, in addition to 104 recoveries, which leaves the nation's total Covid-19 tally at 19,162 confirmed cases.

94 out of Wednesday's 124 new cases were confirmed from the Greater Male' area, the Maldives' capital city, which remains a hotspot for Covid-19 infections. Also on Wednesday, a further five cases of the infection were reported from inhabited islands, 15 cases from operational resorts, nine cases from industrial islands and one case from a liveaboard vessel.

With the additional 124 new cases confirmed between 6pmM Tuesday and 6pm Wednesday, the Maldives' total Covid-19 tally is now 19,162, out of which 2,449 infections remain as active cases. Authorities tested 4,237 samples for the infection between Tuesday and Wednesday, following which the total number of samples tested in the country, including repeat samples, is now 506,395.

162 persons were receiving in-hospital care for Covid-19 at the end of Wednesday. As of now, 60 people have died in the Maldives from the infection and related health complications.

An additional 104 recoveries from the infection were confirmed between Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing the total number of recoveries from the virus observed in the Maldives up to 16,646.

Health authorities have expressed concerns that the number of new cases of the Covid-19 infection being reported in the nation's capital remains concerningly high. Overall, Spokesperson for the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) Dr. Nazla Rafeeq confirmed that while the number of new cases being detected remained stable without unpredictable spikes, the case count had also not decreased. She has noted that it would take around two more weeks before the ease in caseload brought about by stronger restrictions could be observed.

In respect to the Covid-19 situation in Male' City, authorities have been conducting mass inspections at locations providing services to the public, and have been issuing notices to those parties who fail to comply with new normal health and safety regulations in their operations. Additionally, implementation has also been strengthened for the nationwide mask mandate, with the curfew and vehicle movement restriction order in effect in Male' City being upheld rigorously by Maldives Police Service. Health authorities have been closely monitoring the state of Covid-19 across the islands of Maldives, and have been holding discussions in relation to what further steps can be taken in order to control the spread of the virus.