Approximately 170 daily cases of COVID-19 will be recorded in the Maldives in August, authorities warn.

Speaking at the HEalth Emergency Operation Centres press briefing on Thursday, projection specialist Dr Sheena Moosa said it is likely that the Maldives will experience a challenging phase in August. 170 cases are likely to be recorded daily, and 2373 people will test positive for COVID- 19 in August. 475 will need treatment at hospitals, Dr. Sheena said.

The situation is not expected to improve in September. Projections show 105 daily cases will be recorded in September, with 1464 people testing positive throughout the month. 293 people will require hospitalisation, the projection showed.

The numbers will decline to a monthly average of 945 cases in October, with 68 cases recorded daily. 189 people will require hospitalisation.

Dr. Sheena said the situation is expected to improve in November and December. However, the threat will still remain, she warned. While 29 people are expected to test positive daily, a monthly tally of 409 positive cases is expected. The monthly tally will likely drop to 254 in December.

The Maldives imposed strict restrictive measures to prevent the spread of the virus earlier in April. However, the restrictions have been lifted in phases since the end of May. The number of cases have been rapidly increasing since then.

https://avas.mv/en/86614