No More Mask Requirement in the Maldives

Setting an example for the rest of the region, Maldives has become the first country to remove the mask mandate. After discussing with the public health experts, the president of the Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has announced on Sunday that they have lifted the public health emergency. It was put into effect two years ago on March 12th, 2020.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA), has said that while the state of emergency has been lifted, it is still a pandemic. They have also detailed the changes which come with the lift in the status.

While it is no longer mandatory to wear a mask in places without outbreaks, it is still mandatory in health facilities and islands with a sample positivity rate higher than 20%. It is also recommended to wear one if you have flu-like symptoms or if you frequent crowded/confined spaces.

During his televised announcement, the president also shed light on the socio-economic setbacks the Maldives has faced over the past two years. He attributed Maldives' success in controlling the spread of the coronavirus to the general public's and private parties' full cooperation and support for the administration's preventative measures.