Covid-19: Maldives reports 1,467 new cases, 244 recoveries
Maldives active Covid-19 tally is at 15,003
Samples being collected for Covid-19 testing | Health Protection Agency
1,467 new Covid-19 infections were reported across the Maldives on Friday, of which 939 were detected over the last 24 hours.
Latest statistics publicized by the public health authority revealed that of the over 1,400 new infections, 939 cases were confirmed between 6pm Thursday and 6pm Friday. This means that 528 infections were from the backlog samples.
Maldives continues to see a devastating surge in daily Covid-19 infections being reported across the Maldives, with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) having tested 5,037 samples for Covid-19 between 6pm Thursday and 6pm Friday.
Of the new cases, 1,267 were reported in the Greater Malé Region, 182 from residential islands and 18 from operational resorts.
With the new developments, the country’s active Covid-19 cases currently sit at 15,003 and the Covid-19 total case count has been pushed to 42,775.
Over the past 24 hours, 244 additional recoveries were reported with which the number of recoveries from Covid-19 reported across the Maldives increased to 27,672.
With a recent spike in daily infections, hospital admissions have also doubled. However, over the past 24 hours, 31 Covid-19 patients were hospitalized for treatment, meaning that the number of hospital admissions has risen to 290.
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.
Measures have been strengthened across the Maldives once more, including the initiation of a curfew in the capital region from 4pm to 4am. HPA has also urged civil servants as well as those employed in private companies to work from home in order to slow the spread. Recently HPA also increased the quarantine period for travel within islands to 14 days. Other measures include closing down daycare centers, halting tuition and Quran classes as well as halting physical classes at schools. Doctors have stressed that recent statistics indicate that around 80 children below the age of five are currently testing positive for Covid-19 everyday which triggers increasing concerns as hospital beds fill up across the capital region.
The authorities had earlier hinted that discussions are currently underway on the possibilities of imposing a second lockdown across the Covid-19 epicenter.
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.
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.
