118 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the Maldives from 3,952 samples tested for the infection by health authorities between Friday and Saturday.
Saturday's 118 new cases comprised of 92 new cases of the infection reported from Male' City, five cases from inhabited islands, 16 new cases from operational resorts and five new cases confirmed from liveaboard vessels. With this, the Maldives' total Covid-19 tally is now 19,597, of which 2,397 are presently active cases. By sundown on Saturday, a total of 170 persons remain admitted in hospital receiving treatment for the infection. Eight persons with Covid-19 were admitted to hospital between Friday and Saturday.
130 additional recoveries from Covid-19 were also reported in the Maldives on Saturday, bringing the total number of recoveries observed thus far in the island nation up to 17,132.
Member of the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC)'s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Dr. Ahmed Shaheed has remarked that while the Maldives is currently faced with a third, markedly more severe wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people are making the careless mistake of equating the potentially fatal virus to a common cold. HPA statistics also show that the flu positivity rate has gone down despite the increase in cases, which means that fewer people are attending flu clinics despite presenting symptoms of Covid-19.
Health Minister Ahmed Naseem has previously described the Covid-19 situation in Male' City as "out of control" and "dangerous". Despite this, authorities were working towards reducing the capital's caseload without initiating an economically restrictive full-lockdown in the city.
The concerning spike in cases from Male' comes at a time gatherings of more than 10 persons have been banned, in addition to parties and events. Health professionals have ramped up efforts to increase awareness on the very real risks of Covid-19, in order to improve public compliance on health and safety restrictions initiated to curb the virus' spread. Restrictions were imposed in the cities of Addu and Fuvahmulah as well, where community transmission of the infection have been confirmed.
