Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revealed a 67-year-old man has passed away from COVID-19 in the Maldives on March 3, taking the COVID-19 death toll in the country to 63.
HPA revealed a 67-year-old Maldivian male brought to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in unresponsive state at 05:30 a.m. on March 3 and declared dead at 06:00 a.m. had subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. This is the 63rd COVID-19 death recorded in the Maldives. So far, 55 Maldivians and 8 expatriates have passed away from COVID-19 in the Maldives.
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases in the Maldives continues to increase sharply, with another 165 new cases reported between 1800hrs on March 2 and 1800hrs on March 3. This includes 132 cases from the Greater Male' Region, 13 cases from inhabited islands in atolls, 19 cases from operational resorts and 1 cases from industrial islands.
With the latest update, the total number of cases reported in the Maldives has risen to 20,144, including 2,605 active cases. There are currently 186 COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment in hospitals or medical facilities.
COVID-19 cases in the Maldives have increased sharply since the beginning of January. As part of efforts to contain the spread of the disease, HPA has tightened restrictions in the Maldives, with curfews imposed in the Male' region.
HPA has requested the public to follow the instructions from authorities and to strictly observe personal safety measures in order to avoid the healthcare system from getting overloaded.