Parliamentary Committee on Social Affairs has passed the amendment to the Public Health Emergency Bill to grant a special leave for employees who are unable to travel to another island for work due to restrictions set by the government.
After evaluating the bill, the committee approved a leave for employees who are unable to travel due to a measure taken by the Director General of Public Health. The committee concluded individuals in such circumstances are entitled to a special paid leave, without having to produce a medical certificate.
As per the committee report, the measure was taken to ease trouble of moving from one island to another amid the pandemic and to mitigate the spread of the virus. The committee has also passed the amendment to grant a paid leave for employees who are placed in quarantine.
The Public Health Emergency Bill was proposed by Parliamentarian Hussain Mohamed Didi in an effort to formulate procedures and policies to adhere to during a pandemic. The bill will also allow swift decision making as government tries to control the outbreak.