COVID-19: 119 new infections, 109 recoveries

Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Sunday, announced 119 additional cases of the new coronavirus, increasing confirmed coronavirus cases in Maldives to 6,779.

According to HPA, the 119 new cases include 100 Maldivians, 11 Bangladeshis, three Indian, two Filipinos, two Emiratis and one Sri Lankan.

110 of the cases were identified from the greater Male’ region, while the remaining nine were identified from the atolls.

Meanwhile, 109 additional coronavirus patients were confirmed to have made full recoveries over the last 24-hours, increasing total recoveries to 4,222.

The new developments mean Maldives now has 2,531 active cases.

There are 1,457 patients in isolation facilities and 162 in hospitals.

103,654 samples, including repeated samples, have been taken by health authorities to conduct coronavirus tests.

With the 119 new infections this Sunday, 994 people have tested positive over the last one-week period.

August 23: 119 cases

August 22: 96 cases

August 21: 194 cases

August 20: 145 cases

August 19: 146 cases

August 18: 170 cases

August 17: 124 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 over 90 percent of total cases.

4,031 people – making for 59 percent of the 6,779 coronavirus cases in the country, are Maldivians, while the remaining 41 percent are foreign nationals. And 2,145 people – making for 31 percent of total coronavirus cases – are Bangladeshis. The rest of the coronavirus cases include 399 Indians, 76 Sri Lankans, 65 Nepalese, 12 Italians, 11 Filipinos and eight Indonesians.

26 coronavirus patients have died from complications.