COVID-19: 184 new infections; 7,446 vaccinations

Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Thursday, announced 184 additional cases of the new coronavirus, increasing confirmed coronavirus cases in Maldives to 19,346.

According to HPA, the 184 new cases include; 145 cases from the greater Male’ region, 10 cases from residential islands outside Male’, 24 cases from operational resorts, and 5 cases from industrial islands.

Meanwhile, 192 additional coronavirus patients were confirmed to have made full recoveries over the last 24 hours, increasing total recoveries to 16,838.

With the new developments, Maldives now has 2,441 active cases.

There are 162 patients in hospitals.

3,993 samples (including repeated samples) have been tested for the new coronavirus over the last 24-hours.

With the 184 new infections this Thursday, 1,006 people have tested positive over the last one-week period.

February 25: 184 cases

February 24: 124 cases

February 23: 108 cases

February 22: 161 cases

February 21: 157 cases

February 20: 145 cases

February 19: 127 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 7,446 people were vaccinated on Thursday. Of the 7,446 people, 4,825 were from the greater Male’ region, and 2,621 were from the atolls.

Total 98,311 people have now been inoculated under program; 69,725 from the greater Male’ region, and 28,586 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.