COVID-19: 109 new infections, 52 recoveries

Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Saturday, announced 104 additional cases of the new coronavirus, increasing confirmed coronavirus cases in Maldives to 7,578.

According to HPA, the 104 new cases are 80 Maldivians, 24 Bangladeshis, two Indians, two Sri Lankans, and one Nepali.

106 of the cases were identified from the greater Male’ region, while the remaining three were identified from the atolls.

Meanwhile, 52 additional coronavirus patients were confirmed to have made full recoveries over the last 24-hours, increasing total recoveries to 4,925.

The new developments mean Maldives now has 2,619 active cases.

There are 1,482 patients in isolation facilities and 184 in hospitals.

110,249 samples, including repeated samples, have been taken by health authorities to conduct coronavirus tests.

With the 109 new infections this Saturday, 918 people have tested positive over the last one-week period.

August 29: 109 cases

August 28: 140 cases

August 27: 104 cases

August 26: 178 cases

August 25: 135 cases

August 24: 133 cases

August 23: 119 cases

Maldives identified its first coronavirus case on March 7, and declared a state of public health emergency over the pandemic less than a week later on March 12.

While coronavirus cases had initially been restricted to resorts and safaris, and later quarantine facilities holding inbound travelers, Male’ City identified its first coronavirus case on April 15, prompting a city-wide lockdown.

The populous capital quickly emerged as the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Maldives, contributing to over 90 percent of total cases.

4,653 people – making for 61 percent of the 7,578 coronavirus cases in the country, are Maldivians, while the remaining 39 percent are foreign nationals. And 2,264 people – making for 29 percent of total coronavirus cases – are Bangladeshis. The rest of the coronavirus cases include 436 Indians, 79 Sri Lankans, 71 Nepalese, 12 Italians, 11 Filipinos and eight Indonesians.

28 coronavirus patients have died from complications.