COVID-19: With 105 new cases, active cases rise to 1,644

Health Protection Agency (HPA), has announced 105 additional cases of COVID-19, increasing confirmed cases in the Maldives to 15,841.

With the new developments, Maldives now has 1,644 active cases. There are 163 patients in hospitals.

According to HPA, the new cases are:

• 88 cases from Greater Male’ region.
• Four cases from residential islands apart from Male’
• 12 cases from operational resorts
• One case from a liveaboard 

Meanwhile, 43 COVID-19 patients were confirmed to have made full recoveries over the last 24 hours, increasing total recoveries to 14,139.

The positive cases were detected from 2,600 samples. 410,006 samples (including repeated samples) have been tested for the COVID-19 to date.

Caseload over the week

• January 31: 105 cases
• January 30: 122 cases
• January 29: 118 cases
• January 28: 106 cases
• January 27: 143 cases
• January 26: 145 cases
• January 25: 109 cases

52 patients have died from complications.

With the increase of cases being observed once again, authorities are clamping down on previous easements granted after cases died down in late 2020. This includes limiting the time open for cafes and restaurants to operate as well as limiting access to public parks and banning public gatherings.  

Inoculations for the virus are to officially commence tomorrow. 100,000 doses of the Astrazeneca-Oxford vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India was delivered to the Maldives earlier this month as a gift.

A further 700,000 doses of the same vaccine is to be procured by the Maldivian government. The Maldives Food and Drug Authority has approved the use of the vaccines.

The Maldives had experienced around two waves of the virus in 2020 after identifying the first case in March. The capital, Male' City remains the epicenter as case numbers once again start to pick up.