We are now focussing on living with the virus, the Maldives government said on Monday, as the archipelago recorded over 2400 Covid-19 cases, the highest since the pandemic began in March 2020. Officials said that they will impose restrictions keeping in mind the country’s economic recovery. 

The total active case crossed 14,000 in the country of around 500,000 people. However, only 47 of them are currently hospitalized for treatment— a result of the country’s successful vaccination program with equally effective booster dose rollout. 

The Health Protection Agency (HPA), the body that steering the country’s pandemic response, said that findings and reports indicated that hospital admissions were noticeably low in Omicron cases. 

The HPA is currently implementing additional preemptive and preparational measures, Dr. Ibrahim Afzal, an epidemiologist at HPA, said on Monday. He added that the authorities need to work on reviving the country’s economy keep the income flowing and continue living.

Restrictions and measures are currently revised weekly, he said, adding they were also in touch with foreign experts. 

The Maldives’ tourism-dependent economy suffered a big blow in 2020, contracting by almost 30 percent as the result of the pandemic. However, in the following year, the economy recovered, registering around 13 percent growth in the GDP.

(SAM)