COVID-19 cases: 77 elderly people, 173 children

Records released by Health Protection Agency (HPA) shows the coronavirus patients in Maldives who are currently receiving treatment include 77 people who belong to the high risk age group of 60 years and above, as well as 173 children.

Total 4,293 people have tested positive for the new coronavirus in Maldives. They include 150 people above the age of 60 years; 89 men and 61 women.

Meanwhile, 19 coronavirus patients have died from complications. They include 12 people above the age of 60 years; one 92-year-old patient, seven patients between the ages of 80 to 90 years, and four patients between the ages of 70 to 80 years.

The rest include a 38-year-old patient, a 42-year-old patient, a 43-year-old patient, a 52-year-old patient, and a 54-year-old patient.

2,670 people who tested positive have since recovered, and Maldives currently has 1,590 active cases.

The 1,590 active cases include 77 people above the age of 60 years, 10 of whom are above the age of 80 years.

The active cases also include 173 children. They include five children below the age of one year, and 94 children below the age of 10 years.

Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) has recently noted an increase in coronavirus patients who are elderly and have preexisting medical conditions. Standard protocol requires that patients who fit one or both of the criteria to be hospitalized, even if their condition isn’t serious, leading to an increase in hospitalized coronavirus patients.

Records released by HPA shows that there are currently 93 coronavirus patients who are hospitalized.

Maldives is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases with the relaxation of the lockdown on the greater Male’ region – the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the country – in July.

In face of the surge, the government has announced additional measures for the greater Male’ region, including; a two-week closure of schools, a 10:00 pm to 05:00 am curfew, a ban on all non-essential travel from the region to other residential islands.

Meanwhile, the government has also made it mandatory for everyone in residential islands with confirmed coronavirus cases to wear masks in public, and has recommended that people in residential islands, including those where cases have not been identified, to wear masks when out in public.