The Maldives continues to remain on the UK's Travel Red list despite hopes of moving up to the amber list.
The Maldives has been recording a low number of positive COVID-19 cases over the past weeks and boasts a high vaccination rate. Therefore, it was expected that the tourism-dependent island nation would be removed from the UK's red list in its latest review. However, the most recent update saw the Maldives unable to move up from the list.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA)'s Director General Thasleema Usman had earlier said it is likely that the Maldives remained on the red list as the country was yet to complete genomic sequencing tests. However, the Maldives High Commissioner to the UK, Farhanaz Faisal later said the genomic testing data had been updated, and that there was no reason for the Maldives to remain on the red list.
The ambassador has once again raised questions about why the country remains on the UK's red list in its most recent review. The ambassador took to Twitter to express her concerns, stating that she was deeply disappointed that the UK continues to keep the Maldives on the red list despite the significantly improved situation in the Maldives and its high vaccination rates.
After battling a devastating wave of COVID-19 infections, the Maldives is now recording a low number of daily positive cases. Out of the 108 positive cases recorded over the past 24 hours, 35 cases were from capital Male' and 59 cases from inhabited islands. 14 cases were from operational resorts.
The Maldives has been running a successful vaccine campaign, having fully vaccinated 300,671 individuals thus far. 380,379 individuals have received the first dose of the vaccine to date.
