MALE - Maldives is facing a new and more infectious variant of the COVID-19 virus, local media citing a senior doctor reported here Saturday.

Dr. Mohamed Ali from the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital's National Center for Respiratory Medicine, said that the version of the virus currently spreading in Maldives appears to affect the lungs more vigorously.

Maldives has experienced a record eight COVID-19 related deaths between Thursday and Friday. Meanwhile, new daily cases have crossed 700 amid the fourth wave of infections.

Maldives currently has 8,261 active cases of COVID-19, of which 205 have been hospitalized for treatment. Health officials have warned that the country's ICU bed capacity is rapidly filling up.