Health Protection Agency (HPA) has imposed new restrictions in travelling to the atolls due to the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
HPA revealed restrictions are being imposed in travelling from the Greater Male’ Region to the atolls due to the high COVID-19 positivity rate in the capital. As such, HPA revealed more than 5% of the samples tested in Male’, Hulhumale’ and Villimale’ are testing positive for COVID-19 on a daily basis.
As per the new travel guidelines published by HPA, individuals who have completed both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are required to provide a negative PCR test within 72 hours before travelling from Male’ to the atolls. If a traveller has not completed the full vaccine dosage, they are required to undergo quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in the island and will only be released after testing negative at the end of the quarantine period.
Fully vaccinated individuals were previously able to travel to islands without a PCR test or quarantine if a certain percentage of the island’s population is vaccinated. However, HPA has suspended this policy due to the new surge of COVID-19 cases across the country.