Maldives reported 168 new Covid-19 cases alongside 88 additional recoveries on Saturday.

According to the latest figures publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), the new cases were confirmed through 4,419 samples tested between 6pm Friday and 6pm Saturday.

By sundown on Saturday, 44 new coronavirus infections were detected across the congested capital, Greater Malé Region, 101 were confirmed from residential islands outside the capital, 19 from operational resorts and four from a liveaboard vessel.

With this development, active cases rose to 2,019 from the previous day’s 1,939.

Maldives Covid-19 case tally has been pushed to 94,732.

HPA revealed that the total number of recoveries confirmed nationwide has risen to 92,439 with the additional recoveries reported on Saturday.

10 patients are currently receiving in-hospital treatment, which means that two patients were released from the hospital in the reporting period.

Over the past week, Maldives confirmed a total of 868 Covid-19 infections and 866 recoveries. The highest daily rise in coronavirus cases was confirmed on Saturday, with the lowest number being reported on Sunday at 93.

Maldives reported its first Covid-19 fatality in April 2020 and since then, the death toll has risen to 261. The latest victim was identified as a 66-year-old Maldivian man. He succumbed to complications of the virus while receiving treatment at Gaaf Dhaal Covid Management Facility. 11 Covid-19 fatalities have been reported so far in December.

Maldives confirmed the first case of the new, more transmissible variant of Covid-19, ‘Omicron’ on December 5.

HPA highlighted that the first case of the new variant was confirmed through genome sequencing of a tourist that arrived in the Maldives from South Africa on November 21. Since then, the public health authority in its latest presser has revealed that four more cases have been detected.

The public health authority urged caution over the confirmation of ‘Omicron’ in the Maldives, pushing the public to take the necessary precautions for their safety and for the safety of others and to pay special heed to the instructions and guidelines set forth by the authorities.

HPA stressed on the importance of adhering to safety measures to avoid another Covid-19 wave from hitting the Maldives and urged the public to provide their full support and cooperation in helping authorities curb the spread of the infection.

The public health authorities have urged the public to get their vaccination doses, adhere to guidelines set place in hosting events and gatherings and even in the work environment to prevent the risk of widespread infection.

This comes at a time the government imposed a ban on travel from seven countries in Africa recently, triggered by the threats ‘Omicron’. Travelers have been banned from South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Eswatini, including those who visited these countries 14 days before arriving into the Maldives, as well as those who transited in these countries for more than 12 hours.

Further, the announcement reads that those who have travelled to the Maldives after spending more than 14 days in these countries and over 12 hours in transit, must observe a quarantine period of 14 days.

These new measures have been implemented at a time President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has also revealed that there have been surging concerns regarding the more transmissible ‘Omicron’ SARS-CoV-2 variant.

Research indicates that those who have recovered from Covid-19 are at a high risk of contracting the new variant, dubbed a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The country has been in a state of public health emergency for over a year, since 12 March 2020. It was extended a 21st time to expire on December 30.