COVID-19: 118 new infections; 6,073 vaccinations

Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Saturday, announced 118 additional cases of the new coronavirus, increasing confirmed coronavirus cases in Maldives to 19,597.

According to HPA, the 118 new cases include; 92 cases from the greater Male’ region, 5 cases from residential islands outside Male’, 16 cases from operational resorts, and 5 cases from liveaboards.

Meanwhile, 130 additional coronavirus patients were confirmed to have made full recoveries over the last 24 hours, increasing total recoveries to 17,132.

With the new developments, Maldives now has 2,397 active cases.

There are 170 patients in hospitals.

3,952 samples (including repeated samples) have been tested for the new coronavirus over the last 24-hours.

With the 118 new infections this Saturday, 985 people have tested positive over the last one-week period.

February 27: 118 cases

February 26: 133 cases

February 25: 184 cases

February 24: 124 cases

February 23: 108 cases

February 22: 161 cases

February 21: 157 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.

61 coronavirus patients have died from complications.

VACCINE DRIVE

Maldives began mass vaccinations against the new coronavirus on February 1.  HPA states 6,073 people were vaccinated on Saturday. Of the 6,073 people, 3,147 were from the greater Male’ region, and 2,926 were from the atolls.

Total 105,492 people have now been inoculated under program; 72,872 from the greater Male’ region, and 32,620 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.