Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) has states there is a high probability that the Maldives will be exposed to the COVID-19 variant detected in the UK.
Speaking at a press conference, Dr. Nazla Musthafa from the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of HEOC said the new COVID-19 variant which was first identified in the UK has since been detected in 21 countries. Dr. Nazla Musthafa said neighbouring countries such as India and Pakistan, as well as countries to which Maldivians frequently travel to, such as Singapore, have reported cases of the new variant. She said there is a high chance that the new variant will be detected in more countries, with more testing.
Speaking further, Dr. Nazla Musthafa said the new variant is about 50% more transmissible than the original COVID-19 virus. Therefore, she said there is a high chance that the new variant spreads in the Maldives if measures such as wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing are not strictly observed.
Dr. Nazla Musthafa urged the public to adhere to the instructions of health authorities in order to prevent another outbreak of the virus. She said although the new variant does not increase the severity of the symptoms, a faster spread of the disease would lead to more people requiring hospitalisation which could overload the healthcare system.
Health Protection Agency (HPA) has recently announced new measures to safeguard the Maldives from the spread of the new variant of the COVID-19 virus. As such, HPA stated all locals returning from the UK and individuals arriving from the UK on a work visa are required to undergo home quarantine for 10 days upon arrival. This also includes individuals who have visited the UK within the last 14 days before arrival in the Maldives, or individuals who have transited in the UK for over 12 hours.
Those undergoing quarantine after arriving in the UK are required to test for COVID-19 halfway through quarantine and at the end of quarantine. They must also bring a negative PCR test conducted within 96 hours before arrival.