With 162 new cases, Maldives Covid-19 tally surpasses 23,000

Maldives Covid-19 tally has surpassed the 23,000-mark.

According to latest statistics publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), 162 new infections of the global Covid-19 pandemic was reported by sundown on Thursday, along with 80 additional recoveries.

The new infections were confirmed through 4,318 samples collected between 6pm Wednesday and 6pm Thursday.

HPA statistics indicate that 99 out of the 162 new infections reported in the Maldives between 6pm Wednesday and 6pm Thursday, were from the Greater Malé Region. This is the third consecutive day where daily cases have been below 100 in the capital region. 45 of the remaining cases were reported in residential islands and 15 infections were also detected from operational resorts.

Two new Covid-19 cases were confirmed from liveaboard vessels and one more case was discovered from industrial islands.

Thursday’s coronavirus cases have pushed the country’s total Covid-19 case count to 23,091.

The country has observed a total of 20,439 recoveries from the infection since it surfaced in the island nation during March 2020.

Maldives active coronavirus infections rose to 2,579 from 2,497, the number of hospitalized patients remains unchanged at 103 from the previous day.

The public health authority revealed that hospital admissions are currently lower than they were in mid-February, however, they are still higher in comparison to the hospital admissions recorded at the beginning of the ongoing year.

Maldives Covid-19 mortality rate is currently at 0.29 percent, with the pandemic having claimed 66 lives thus far, the latest victim having been reported a little past 8pm on March 20.

Public health authorities recently extended and implemented stricter measures across the nation in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the region, as the country goes through an overwhelming third peak of the pandemic. For over a month, infections have been snowballing and public health authorities have been raising concern over the mounting caseload, however, the authorities remain resolute to avoid imposing a second lockdown across the capital region.

Authorities reintroduced a curfew in the Greater Malé Region on February 12, in light of the spike in daily infections being reported. The nearly six-hour curfew was followed by restrictions on vehicle movement from 6pm to 6am for Greater Malé residents. On Wednesday the health authority lifted the restrictions on vehicle movement in the capital city.

The country remains in a state of public health emergency since 12 March 2020, the last extension is set to expire on April 4.