Health Protection Agency (HPA) has banned all non-essential travel between atolls and islands, starting from May 4.
HPA announced new measures on May 2 to control the spread of COVID-19 in the Maldives. As such, the circular signed by Director General of Public Health Maimoona Aboobakuru stated non-essential travel between atolls and islands have been banned for a period of one week starting from May 4. However, this does not include trips between Male’, Villimale’, Hulhumale’, Thilafushi and Gulhifalhu.
HPA stated only individuals travelling for medical or other essential purposes will be permitted to travel between islands. HPA also instructed local councils to make the necessary arrangements to facilitate the supply of food, medicine and other essential items to their respective islands.
Maldives has been reporting record numbers of COVID-19 cases during the past week. As such, the daily average of cases has soared above 400, while total number of active cases has risen to over 5,000. Unlike previous waves of COVID-19 cases in the Maldives, the current wave has seen large numbers of cases spread across the atolls rather than cases being concentrated in the Greater Male’ Region.