The Government of Maldives has announced new stringent precautionary measures to safeguard the Maldives and its people from the global Covid-19 outbreak. The decision was announced by the government at a press conference held at the President’s office tonight.
Announcing the decision by the Government, Minister of Health, Abdulla Ameen said that the new measures implemented by the Government include a temporary ban on any and all cruise ships from entering and docking in the Maldives, a ban on any and all entry from Iran including anyone who had travelled or transited from Iran and a ban on entry into the Maldives from anyone who had travelled or transited in Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Busan, Seoul, Gyeonggi and Gyeongnam of South Korea within the past 14 days.
Speaking at the press conference, Minister Ameen announced that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has today decided to place these measures after deliberating over the issue with relevant stakeholders. He further noted that the decision was reached as part of new stringent measures being placed by the Government to safeguard the Maldives and its people from the rapidly escalating state of the global Covid-19 outbreak.
Minister Ameen stated that so far Maldives has not had a positive case of the virus, however, the Government is treating all suspected cases with caution. He stressed that the Government has maintained its 14-day quarantine process and has continued screening for the virus according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations. Minister Ameen further stated that the government is closely monitoring the worldwide situation of the outbreak and is revising the measures being implemented to suit the dynamic nature of the escalating situation by working round-the-clock in monitoring all points of entry into the country.
Minister Ameen emphasized that the Government is taking all precautionary measures to ensure the safety of Maldives and its people. He further assured that the safety and security of the Maldivian people remains paramount.