Maldives reports record-breaking 1,204 new Covid-19 cases on Monday
267 infections correspond to backlog tests from more than two days prior, 937 positive samples taken within the last 24 hours
PCR testing at Hulhumale' Hospital
With a majority of cases once again detected from the capital Male' City, Maldives reported 1,204 new Covid-19 infections on Monday.
Latest statistics publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reveal that a total of 1,204 new Covid-19 infections were detected nationwide between 6pm Saturday and 6pm Sunday. This is the greatest number of daily new Covid-19 cases detected in the Maldives since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
961 of the 1,204 new cases reported Monday were from the Male' area, with 235 new cases reported from inhabited islands, and eight cases from operational resorts.
Health authorities tested a total of 5,598 samples for the infection between Sunday and Monday.
With over a thousand new infections reported over the past two days, Maldives' total Covid-19 tally is now 37,019. There are currently 10,376 active cases of Covid-19 across different parts of the country.
By the end of Sunday, there were 244 people receiving in-hospital care for Covid-19, which is six less than the previous day.
A further 248 recoveries from the infection were reported on Monday, bringing the total number of recoveries observed for the infection in Maldives up to 26,547. As of Sunday, 32 islands across the Maldives have been placed under monitoring due to Covid-19.
Covid-19 health and safety restrictions were eased across the densely-populated capital ahead of Ramazan and the Local Council and Women's Development Committee Elections, following which there has been a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases being reported in the city. Male' City was rocked by an explosion in an assassination attempt against former president Mohamed Nasheed on Thursday, following which there has been increased police and military presence across the city.
The Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) have revealed that the bed capacity of Male' City hospitals is 293 beds, of which 80 percent are presently occupied by patients being treated for Covid-19. Authorities have revealed that the Hulhumale' Hospital will be partially downgraded into a Covid management facility with a bed capacity of 120, as part of a number of measures being taken to tackle the capital's growing caseload. Long-term Covid-19 management facilities are also being developed by the HEOC in association with authorities.
Spokesperson Mabrook stated that 55 percent of all doctors and nurses in the Maldives are working as part of the country's Covid-19 response plan, and the HEOC confirmed that they are working to increase the number of medical professionals on their team. Health authorities have stressed that they are working above capacity to cater to Covid-19 patients, and continue to stress the importance of following Covid-19 health and safety measures set to control transmission of the virus.
