The total number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 26,505 after another 157 people tests positive for the illness.

Health Protection Agency (HPA) said that from 6 p.m. yesterday to 6 p.m. today, 157 people have tested positive including 71 people in Male' area and 12 from the resorts. HPA did not clarify numbers in terms of locals and foreigners.

In the same time frame, 100 people recovered from COVID-19 raising the total number of recoveries in the country to 23,691 with another 2,735 people still in treatment.

So far, there have been 70 COVID-related fatalities in the Maldives that includes 63 locals, six Bangladeshi nationals and a man from Philippines.