COVID-19: 115 new infections; 7,862 vaccinations

Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Tuesday, announced 115 additional cases of the new coronavirus, increasing confirmed coronavirus cases in Maldives to 21,034.

According to HPA, the 115 new cases include; 98 cases from the greater Male’ region, 5 cases from residential islands outside Male’, and 12 cases from operational resorts.

Meanwhile, 175 additional coronavirus patients were confirmed to have made full recoveries over the last 24 hours, increasing total recoveries to 18,428.

With the new developments, Maldives now has 2,535 active cases.

There are 165 patients in hospitals.

3,877 samples (including repeated samples) have been tested for the new coronavirus over the last 24-hours.

With the 115 new infections this Tuesday, 890 people have tested positive over the last one-week period.

March 9: 115 cases

March 8: 125 cases

March 7: 131 cases

March 6: 98 cases

March 5: 118 cases

March 4: 167 cases

March 3: 136 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.

64 coronavirus patients have died from complications.

VACCINE DRIVE

Maldives began mass vaccinations against the new coronavirus on February 1.  HPA states 7,862 people were vaccinated on Tuesday. Of the 7,862 people, 4,083 were from the greater Male’ region, and 3,779 were from the atolls.

Total 165,675 people have now been inoculated under program; 95,362 from the greater Male’ region, and 70,313 from the atolls.

Maldives has received 200,000 doses of the Covishield developed AstraZeneca and Oxford from India and additional 12,000 doses through COVAX. The country has also 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 200,000 more doses of the same vaccine.