The total number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 26,920 after another 253 people tests positive for the illness.

Health Protection Agency (HPA) said that from 6 p.m. yesterday to 6 p.m. today, 253 people have tested positive including 111 people in Male' area and 64 from the resorts. HPA did not clarify numbers in terms of locals and foreigners.

In the same time frame, 132 people recovered from COVID-19 raising the total number of recoveries in the country to 23,935 with another 2,905 people still in treatment.

So far, there have been 71 COVID-related fatalities in the Maldives that includes 64 locals, six Bangladeshi nationals and a man from Philippines.