Gov will focus on reducing critical cases, not number of Covid infections

Director General of Public Health Maimoona Aboobakuru said on Sunday evening that with the lifting of the Health Emergency in Maldives, efforts will be made to reduce the number of severe Covid-19 cases instead of reducing the number of infections.

Maldives lifted the Health Emergency that was announced in the country on March 12, 2020, after two years and a day to the date, on March 13, 2022. In a news conference held by the Health Ministry last night Maimoona said their goals in combating and controlling Covid-19 has now changed.

She said their focus will now be on to reduce severe and critical cases and Covid fatalities instead of reducing the number of infections.

"Our aim will be to work forward focusing on those goals," Maimoona said.

She said that being able to lift Health Emergency on expert advice was a success in itself. Maimoona also noted that Maldives had received a large number vaccines from various sources and Maldives' populations were able to reach high inoculation rates as well. So far 82 percent of the population have received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccines while 31 percent of the people have been boostered. She pointed out that the number of people requiring to be treated for Covid while hospitalised has been decreasing as well, saying that hospitalisation rate was at one percent last week.

Maimoona said Maldivian healthcare system can now handle Covid-19 cases and that the administrative islands also have the facilities to test for Covid. Additional Covid-19 treatment facility has been established and 272 beds have been placed in the facility established in Hulhumale'.

Maimoona said that the Maldivian health system is ready to be treated for Covid-19 and that testing facilities have been made in the islands as well. She also said that an additional Covid-19 treatment facility has been established in Hulhumale' with a 272 bed capacity.

"This is proof that we will be able to go forward with ease even if we face another surge of Covid cases," she said.

When Covid was first detected in Maldives, the country had a testing capacity of 200 samples daily. Nearly 8,000-9,000 samples can now be tested in Male' alone.