COVID-19: 161 new infections; 5,085 vaccinations

Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Monday, announced 161 additional cases of the new coronavirus, increasing confirmed coronavirus cases in Maldives to 18,930.

According to HPA, the 161 new cases include; 139 cases from the greater Male’ region, 4 cases from residential islands outside Male’, 17 cases from operational resorts, and 1 case from liveaboards.

Meanwhile, 155 additional coronavirus patients were confirmed to have made full recoveries over the last 24 hours, increasing total recoveries to 16,351.

With the new developments, Maldives now has 2,512 active cases.

There are 162 patients in hospitals.

5,000 samples (including repeated samples) have been tested for the new coronavirus over the last 24-hours.

With the 161 new infections this Monday, 977 people have tested positive over the last one-week period.

February 22: 161 cases

February 21: 157 cases

February 20: 145 cases

February 19: 127 cases

February 18: 116 cases

February 17: 142 cases

February 16: 129 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 the majority of total cases.

60 coronavirus patients have died from complications.

VACCINE DRIVE

Maldives began mass vaccinations against the new coronavirus on February 1.  HPA states 5,085 people were vaccinated on Monday. Of the 5,085 people, 3,054 were from the greater Male’ region, 1,588 were from the atolls, and 443 were from resorts.

Total 80,159 people have now been inoculated under program; 59,077 from the greater Male’ region, 19,623 from the atolls, and 1,459 from resorts.

Maldives has received 200,000 doses of the Covishield developed AstraZeneca and Oxford from India and has ordered 700,000 more doses of the same vaccine – which they expect to receive in March. Maldives has also received 5,000 doses of Sinopharm as a donation, and China has pledged a donation of 100,000 more doses of the same vaccine.

Maldives also expects to receive the first shipment of vaccines from World Health Organization (WHO) this February.