President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said the Maldives' COVID-19 situation is expected to deteriorate over the next three weeks. The president made the remark while speaking at a ceremony held Tuesday to inaugurate N. Landhoo harbor.
The president said while a new variant of the COVID-19 virus is in circulation, health officials have warned that the next three weeks could worsen the country's pandemic situation. Therefore, the president said the public is advised to wear masks and follow the instructions of health experts.
Although the new variant, Omicron's cases, have been identified in the Maldives, the president said the number of cases is not very high. He added that he was hopeful that the Maldives could escape the danger of the virus during this year, further noting that from among regional countries, Maldives managed its COVID-19 situation the best. As a result, he said, the country's economy has started to improve.
Recalling the days during which the Maldives' situation was the worst, President Solih said businesses had to close shop and other measures that were taken caused several challenges. The president added that he does not wish for the same situation to repeat and face the same problems.
'For this reason, I advise all citizens to follow the guidelines in place and wear masks when going out. I urge you to take precautionary measures,' President Solih said.
The Maldives' COVID-19 numbers have remained low for the past six months. However, a hike in cases was recorded over the past few days.
