A special inspection is being launched to identify tourists holidaying in the Maldives against guidelines. The step is being taken after several complaints of tourists who have not completed their vaccination holidaying in local islands surfaced over the past couple of days.
The inspection will be carried out jointly by Maldives Immigration, Maldives Police Service, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Economic Development, Local Government Authority, and the Health Protection Agency from Wednesday.
Tourists can check into hotels in the Greater Male' Area and other inhabited islands if they have been fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine that has been approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization or the Maldives Food and Drug Authority. A person is considered fully vaccinated if 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of the vaccine. Tourists who have not completed their COVID-19 vaccination may stay at hotels in inhabited islands only if 60 percent of the island's population has received the vaccine.
HPA said it has been receiving information that several tourists who have not completed their vaccination are holidaying in local islands. While the guidelines were set to achieve a specific purpose, the authority will investigate further to ensure that all guidelines are being followed. Action will be taken against those who go against the guidelines, said HPA.
