A total of 703 new infections of the global Covid-19 pandemic were reported across the Maldives alongside 202 recoveries on Thursday.

It has been over a week where Maldives has been recording alarming numbers of coronavirus infections, with latest statistics publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) indicating that a total of 3,574 samples were tested for the virus between 6pm Wednesday and 6pm Thursdays.

Of the 703 new coronavirus cases, 526 were reported in the Greater Malé Region, 167 from residential islands and seven from operational resorts. Further, three additional infections were confirmed from an island reserved for industrial purposes.

With this development Maldives Covid-19 tally has surpassed the 33,000-mark and currently sits at 33,368.

With the over 200 additional recoveries reported over the past 24 hours, the number of recoveries from Covid-19 reported across the Maldives increased to 25,675.

By Wednesday’s end active coronavirus cases rose to 7,607 from 7,109.

With a recent spike in daily infections, hospital admissions have also doubled, exceeding 200 by Thursday’s end. Over the past 24 hours, five more Covid-19 patient were hospitalized for treatment, meaning that the number of hospital admissions has risen to 198.

The Covid-19 caseload has begun spiking in recent weeks at a time Maldives was able to control a spike in cases into the beginning of the new year, with strengthened measures such as a curfew period and travel restrictions. However, authorities lifted the measures in place in time for the fasting month of Ramadan 1442 as well as the Local Council and Women’s Development Committee elections held in mid-April.

Starting Wednesday, a four-hour ban on vehicle movement is in effect alongside other strengthened measures nationwide, including revoking the permit to travel within residential islands two weeks after completing the two Covid-19 vaccination shots, without the need to quarantine. Measures have been strengthened for a period of 10 days. Further authorities have imposed a seven-hour curfew in the capital region from Thursday.

Maldives has been in a state of public health emergency for over a year and the last extension is set to expire on June 3.

Public health authorities continue to stress the importance of following Covid-19 health and safety measures set to control transmission of the virus, including social distancing, avoiding public gatherings, maintaining hand hygiene and effective masking while outdoors.