Maldives reports 167 new Covid-19 cases, 145 recoveries
Maldives Covid-19 tally is at 23,838
Healthcare workers collecting samples for Covid-19 testing
On Tuesday, Maldives reported 167 new cases of the global Covid-19 pandemic, alongside 145 additional recoveries.
According to latest statistics publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), the new infections were confirmed through 3,493 samples collected between 6pm Monday and 6pm Tuesday.
86 out of the 167 new cases reported in the Maldives were from the Greater Malé Region. This is the seventh consecutive day daily cases have been below 100 in the capital region. 59 of the remaining cases were reported in residential islands and 21 infections were also detected from operational resorts.
One new infection was also discovered from an industrial island.
With this development, Maldives Covid-19 tally has been pushed to 23,838.
The country has observed a total of 20,984 recoveries from the infection since it surfaced in the island nation during March 2020.
Maldives active coronavirus infections rose to 2,780 from 2,759 within the past 24 hours, with 91 patients remaining hospitalized for treatment. This is two patients less than the previous day.
HPA earlier 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 on March 20.
For over a month, infections have been snowballing and HPA has 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, at a time the Director-General of Public Health Maimoona Aboobakuru had hinted that restrictions could be eased in time for the fasting month of Ramadan. The Covid-19 epicenter Malé City was in a state of lockdown during the fasting month last year which was met with public concerns in lieu of difficulties to obtain essentials.
The country remains in a state of public health emergency since 12 March 2020, the last extension is set to expire on April 4.
