COVID-19: 157 new infections; 5,004 vaccinations

Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Sunday, announced 157 additional cases of the new coronavirus, increasing confirmed coronavirus cases in Maldives to 18,769.

According to HPA, the 157 new cases include; 103 cases from the greater Male’ region, 20 cases from residential islands outside Male’, and 34 cases from operational resorts.

Meanwhile, 135 additional coronavirus patients were confirmed to have made full recoveries over the last 24 hours, increasing total recoveries to 16,196.

With the new developments, Maldives now has 2,506 active cases.

There are 162 patients in hospitals.

4,353 samples (including repeated samples) have been tested for the new coronavirus over the last 24-hours.

With the 157 new infections this Sunday, 941 people have tested positive over the last one-week period.

February 21: 157 cases

February 20: 145 cases

February 19: 127 cases

February 18: 116 cases

February 17: 142 cases

February 16: 129 cases

February 15: 125 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 5,004 people were vaccinated on Sunday. Of the 5,004 people, 3,310 were from the greater Male’ region while 1,694 were from the atolls.

Total 74,966 people have now been inoculated under program; 57,039 from the greater Male’ region and 17,927 from the atolls.

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.