Health professionals vaccinated a total of 9,770 people across the Maldives against Covid-19 on Friday, pushing the nations vaccination total up to 198,206.

The latest vaccination update by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) confirms that 9,770 vaccinations were conducted across the Maldives on Saturday. This includes 5,859 vaccinations conducted in the Greater Male' area, in addition to 3,911 vaccinations performed across atolls. As of now, there are eight vaccination centers and two mobile vaccination teams active in Male' City, with 169 vaccination centers in operation along atolls.

With this, the island nation's vaccination total is at 198,206, which includes 11,695 vaccinations performed in the capital of Male', and a total of 86,511 vaccines administered from outlying atolls.

Health authorities have announced they will discontinue administering the first doses of the Covishield vaccine on 15 March, and members of the public are strongly advised to attend vaccination centers to receive the shot within the deadline. Long queues are popping up along vaccination centers as final deadline for administering first dose draws near, and authorities have assured that elderly and high-risk persons will still be administered their first dose once the deadline closes.

In addition to this, people who tested positive for Covid-19 and are currently isolated will be vaccinated based on eligibility after the close of the deadline, with the same procedure reserved for those who are observing quarantine after coming into contact with positive cases. Further, people in quarantine after arriving in Maldives from abroad, or after travelling from Male', will also be administered their first dose of the vaccine after Monday. Lastly, people who had to delay vaccination due to a medical condition or other health reasons will also be eligible to receive their first dose of the vaccine after 15 March.

Vaccinations are currently 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. Spokesperson for the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) Dr. Nazla Rafeeq has, on multiple occasions, 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 restrictions to control the infection could be eased across the country.