Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) has requested the public to report any parties or gatherings which are held in violation of the guidelines set by Health Protection Agency (HPA) to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the Maldives.
Speaking at a press conference, Epidemiologist Dr. Ibrahim Afzal said discussions are ongoing to strengthen the actions taken to control the spread of COVID-19. Noting several people have been conducting parties and social gatherings despite the ban on gatherings of more than 5 people, Dr. Afzal said public compliance to control measures is crucial for the country to recover from the pandemic quickly and return to a normal situation. Therefore, he urged the public to fulfill the individual responsibility of each citizen and refrain from conducting or taking part in any such gathering that could increase the risk of COVID-19. He also requested the public to report any such gatherings to HEOC.
Dr. Afzal noted most countries follow a very strict policy in taking action against large social gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he said HEOC still intends to inform the public of the risks of such gatherings and create awareness in order to control the spread, rather than handing out strict punishment. He added the objective of requesting the public to report gatherings is to identify all such activities and plan future measures.
Dr. Afzal reiterated the call for public support to COVID-19 control measures, noting it is impossible to control the spread of the disease without ensuring public compliance to the control measures.