President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has announced the Maldives will reopen its borders on July 15.
Speaking at a press conference held at President’s Office, President Solih revealed the borders of the Maldives will be opened for international operations on July 15, adding the resorts will also be reopened simultaneously. He revealed efforts are underway to grant approval for guest houses to reopen in August.
Furthermore, President Solih underlined prominent tourist markets such as Germany and UAE have acknowledged travelling to the Maldives is safe. He expressed hope for the economy to recover rapidly when the borders are reopened and the tourism is relaunched.
The president further announced July will also witness the further easing of temporary restrictive measures. As such he noted prayers in congregation are expected to resume, students will return to classrooms, and restaurants and cafes will open for dine-in service.
President Solih acknowledged the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the entire globe, with even the most developed countries struggling to fully contain the pandemic. Despite this, the president stated the Maldives has made remarkable strides in the fight against COVID-19, noting case numbers are much lower than health authorities initially expected, while there has been a drastic decrease in the number of active cases. He said much of this can be credited to the early interventions to halt viral spread, and the proactive efforts of health authorities to test, trace and isolate positive cases.
The president noted the success in containing COVID-19 was aided by the efforts of many individuals, businesses and institutions. The president thanked in particular the management of Tree Top Hospital and ADK Hospital, for volunteering their health services and facilities. Similarly he thanked the operators of private resorts for volunteering their premises for conversion into ICU and isolation facilities.
President Solih noted that relative to population, the Maldives maintains a high rate of testing. He revealed further testing facilities will soon be available in both Addu and Kulhudufushi, in addition to the facilities already operational in the capital and across 5 different national regions.
The president expressed his gratitude to the many front-line workers, including the Maldives Police Service (MPS), Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), Maldivian Red Crescent (MRC) and other NGOs. He also appreciated the efforts of girl guides, boy scouts and cadets, as well as the many medical staff, whose ongoing efforts have been invaluable at halting viral spread, while alleviating citizens’ burdens. He further thanked everyone, especially the families of front-line workers, who waited patiently at home for 42 days, during the lockdown.