Maldives saw a total of 6,170 vaccinations against the global Covid-19 pandemic, by sundown on Monday.

According to the latest Covid-19 vaccination updates publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), Sunday’s vaccinations include 2,186 across eight vaccination centers and two mobile teams in the Greater Malé Region as well as 3,984 in 169 vaccination centers across atolls.

With this development, a total of 157,813 vaccine doses have been administered nationwide, since President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih initiated the national Covid-19 vaccination programme on February 1.

The total inoculation count includes 91,279 across the capital region and 66,534 administered their Covishield doses across atolls nationwide.

Vaccinations are now open for all those above the age of 18 years of age living in the Greater Malé Region, in addition to high-risk groups over the age of 18, and caretakers of elderly or chronically ill bedridden patients.

On Tuesday morning, the public health authority reported the death of a 45-year-old Maldivian man who was administered his first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccination produced by India’s Serum Institute, on March 8. Despite this being the third death reported of persons who received their vaccination doses, the health authority has revealed that serious events including death can occur unrelated to the vaccine.

The government has received international praise for the Maldives' rapid and organized Covid-19 vaccination efforts, foreign observers hailing the equitable distribution of vaccines across the island nation as an example for other world countries.

Spokesperson for the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) Dr. Nazla Rafeeq has stressed the importance of vaccinating in order to build herd-immunity against Covid-19 within Maldivian communities, adding that this would be the only way Covid-19 health and safety restrictions could be eased across the country.