The Edition
facebook icon twitter icon instagram icon linkedin icon

Latest

COVID-19: HPA confirms 74 new cases, 44 recoveries

Shahudha Mohamed
18 September 2020, MVT 22:40
During the drill exercise held to launch the national ambulance services in Maldives amid the COVID-19 pandemic. PHOTO: NISHAN ALI / MIHAARU
Shahudha Mohamed
18 September 2020, MVT 22:40

Health Protection Agency (HPA), on Friday, confirmed an additional 74 cases of COVID-19 and 44 recoveries in Maldives.

According to the agency, the new cases include 37 locals and 37 foreigners.

HPA revealed that 70 of the additional infections were reported in the Greater Male' Region, while the remaining four cases were detected from islands outside of the capital area.

With these developments, Maldives currently records a total of 9,568 virus cases of which 1,452 are active cases, in addition to 8,077 recoveries and 33 deaths.

In addition to Male' area, cases are present in 21 inhabited islands and 27 resorts. Moreover, HPA has now confirmed a community spread in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll's Hoandehdhoo, with at least 44 infections. This is the first community spread identified outside the capital region.

During last month, authorities tightened the safety measures implemented in the Greater Male' region, following an alarming upsurge of COVID-19 cases after the state initiated efforts to steer the country towards a 'new normal' with the phased easing of lockdown restrictions.

Authorities have stated that the effects of implementing stricter measures will be reflected in the case numbers towards the end of the month.

After a long period of recording over 100 daily cases, the numbers have slipped down to two-digits during the past two weeks.

Within this same period, the number of recoveries saw a significant increase, bringing the number of recovered cases to 84.4 percent.

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.

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 30.5 million people and claimed over 952,912 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than 22.2 million people have recovered.

Share this story

Discuss

MORE ON NEWS