The Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) has stated that the current measures in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 will be strengthened further.
Speaking at a press conference held Sunday by HEOC, government Spokesperson, Mohamed Mabrook Azeez said discussions are ongoing to introduce stricter measures that will come into effect on May 26. Although more measures are being introduced, it is unlikely that the capital city will go into lockdown, said Mabrook.
A 12 hour curfew from 04:00pm to 04:00am is currently in effect in the Greater Male' Region, in addition to the suspension of congregational prayers at mosques and the closure of government offices and schools. Cafes and restaurants are banned from serving dine-in customers and can only provide take-away and delivery services. A suspension on issuance of visas to travelers from South East Asia is also in effect.
The Maldives is battling a worrying surge in COVID-19 cases. While 54,365 confirmed cases have been reported to date, 22,421 cases are active at this time. The death toll is at 128, out of which over 56 deaths were reported this month. The daily number of cases remains above 1,000.
