Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) has stated groups of 10 or more people who are travelling together from the Greater Male’ Region to another island must take a COVID-19 test before departure.
Speaking at a press conference, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed from the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of HEOC said the policy on testing travellers is being revised to ensure the chances of a community spread in islands are at a minimum. As such, Dr. Shaheed said HEOC has decided to enforce a new policy where groups of 10 or more people who travel and undergo home quarantine together are required to take a COVID-19 test prior to departure, as an added safety measure. He said the PCR test will need to be done 72 hours before departure.
Dr. Shaheed urged all individuals travelling to islands to strictly follow the home quarantine guidelines of Health Protection Agency (HPA). He also urged individuals who undergo home quarantine together in large groups to distribute themselves into smaller groups and avoid gatherings. He reiterated the importance of following the home quarantine guidelines to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 and to bring the disease under control in the Maldives.