Maldives Police Service (MPS) has stated individuals found without a mask in public will be fined without prior warning.
Health Protection Agency (HPA) has strengthened measures against COVID-19 following the increase in cases this month. As such, a curfew has been imposed in the Male’ Region from 12:00 a.m. to 04:00 a.m. every day, while cafes and restaurants have been asked to close latest by 11:30 p.m. Parties, ceremonies and other similar gatherings have been banned and individuals have been urged to wear face masks at all times when in public.
MPS stated special efforts will be undertaken to enforce HPA’s measures in order to help contain the spread of COVID-19 in the Maldives. As such, MPS said individuals found without a mask will be fined without a prior warning.
Masks have been mandatory in the Male’ Region since August last year. Individuals who do not wear masks in public can be fined USD 65.
As part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, HPA has mandated all individuals arriving from abroad, except tourists, to undergo quarantine upon arrival. Individuals travelling to islands from the Male’ Region are also required to undergo quarantine.
The daily number of COVID-19 cases in the Maldives have been above 100 for each of the past 5 days. Majority of the cases have been reported from the Male’ Region. Some islands in the atolls have also reported new cases, leading to four islands being placed under monitoring by HPA.