The Health Protection Agency (HPA) announced on Wednesday that 143 more individuals tested positive for COVID-19 in the Maldives, while 35 patients recovered from the disease.
According to the agency, the new cases include 87 Maldivians, 40 Bangladeshi nationals, 10 Indians, three Nepali citizens, two Sri Lankans and one Egyptian.
143 of the new positive cases were identified in the Greater Male’ region while three cases were identified in islands.
Earlier on Wednesday, Maldives also recorded its 21st COVID-19 related death, with the passing of a 77-year-old Maldivian female. She was the 16tg local to succumb to the virus.
With these developments, Maldives now records total 5,366 confirmed and 2,461 active COVID-19 cases, along with 2,884 recoveries and 21 deaths.
In addition to the Greater Male’ region, active virus cases are also present in Kelaa, Ihavandhoo and Filladhoo of Haa Alif Atoll, Naivaadhoo in Haa Dhaalu Atoll, Hulhudhuffaaru in Raa Atoll, Kudarikilu and Kamadhoo in Baa Atoll, Hinnavaru of Lhaviyani Atoll, Maafushi of Kaafu Atoll, Fulidhoo of Vaavu Atoll, Fuvahmulah City, and Hithadhoo and Feydhoo of Addu City.
Furthermore, HPA revealed that active cases are present in nine resorts across the archipelago as well, including six tourists and 11 staff members with confirmed infections.
On August 6, the island nation recorded the highest number of daily COVID-19 cases confirmed per capita in the world.
The rise in the number of COVID-19 cases per capita, after recording significantly low numbers in the months of May and June, indicates an alarming community spread in the country, with recovery numbers slipping in stark contrast to newly identified cases.
The recent spike reduced the total amount of recovered patients from the peak 86 to 53.7 per cent.
The number of COVID-19 cases skyrocketed after the state initiated efforts to steer the country towards a ‘new normal’ with the phased easing of lockdown restrictions across the Greater Male’ Region.
As one of the most densely populated cities in the world, Maldives’ capital Malé continues to record a significant number of COVID-19 cases, similar to the first weeks following the first confirmed local transmission on April 15.
Noting the economic repercussions of implementing lockdown measures again, authorities have continually requested the public to adhere to HPA’s safety guidelines to reduce the spread of the virus as life continues in the ‘new normal’.
The state has also announced a curfew from 2200hrs to 0500hrs in the Greater Male’ region, where the spread is centred, as a precautionary measure to curb the virus spread.
On March 12, WHO classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. To date, the new strain of novel coronavirus has infected over 20.7 million people and claimed over 751,500 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than 13.6 million people have recovered.
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Source URL: Google News
