Minister of Health Ahmed Naseem has stated the government will target the specific areas of infections to control a new wave of COVID-19 outbreak, instead of declaring a State of Public Health Emergency throughout the country.
Speaking to PSM News, Minister Naseem said the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing worldwide but the Maldives has been able to control the Omicron variant and reduce the number of cases, making it unnecessary to continue the State of Public Health Emergency, according to a thorough analysis on the current situation in the country.
However, Minister Naseem said a new wave of COVID-19 infections is still likely and the government will respond by enforcing measures in the specific areas which are reporting an increase in cases. He noted that the latest variant is infectious but weak and the government eased the health measures after consulting health experts.
On March 13, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced his decision to lift the State of Public Health Emergency, in force since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. President Solih made the announcement after consulting with health experts and said the health ministry will announce the way forward, including measures to monitor and keep the spread of COVID-19 in check.