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COVID-19: HPA confirms 145 more cases, 127 recoveries

Mariyam Malsa
20 August 2020, MVT 23:09
A street of Male' City during the curfew implemented from 2200hrs to 0500hrs in an attempt to reduce the COVID-19 spread in Maldives. PHOTO: MIHAARU
Mariyam Malsa
20 August 2020, MVT 23:09

The Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Wednesday, confirmed 145 more cases of COVID-19 in Maldives and

According to the agency, the new cases include 123 Maldivians, 11 Bangladeshi nationals, five Sri Lankans, three Indians, one Nepalese citizen, one Japanese citizen and one Jordanian.

HPA stated that 144 of the newly identified cases were reported in the Greater Male' region while three were confirmed outside of the capital area.

With these developments, the island nation now records total 6,370 confirmed and 2,431 active COVID-19 cases, along with 3,915 recoveries and 24 deaths.

In addition to the Greater Male' region, active virus cases are present in 20 inhabited islands throughout 13 atolls in the archipelago.

Furthermore, HPA noted that active cases are present in 12 resorts across the archipelago, including seven tourists and 13 staff members with confirmed infections.

After recording significantly low numbers in the months of May and June, the island nation recorded a significant rise in the number of COVID-19 cases per capita, indicating an alarming community spread in the country.

However, the number of recoveries have increased in the past few days, after the recent spike reduced the total amount of recovered patients from the peak 86 to the lowest 53 percent. This value currently stands at 61 percent.

The number of COVID-19 cases skyrocketed after the state initiated efforts to steer the country towards a 'new normal' with the phased easing of lockdown restrictions across the Greater Male' Region. As one of the most densely populated cities in the world, Maldives' capital Malé continues to record a significant number of COVID-19 cases, similar to the first weeks following the first confirmed local transmission on April 15.

Noting the economic repercussions of implementing lockdown measures again, authorities have continually requested the public to adhere to HPA's safety guidelines to reduce the spread of the virus as life continues in the 'new normal'.

On March 12, WHO classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. To date, the new strain of novel coronavirus has infected over 22.7 million people and claimed over 793,700 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than 15.4 million people have recovered.

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