The government has reduced coronavirus curfew hours in the Maldives congested capital hours to 10 hours.

The President’s Office held a press conference on Tuesday night with Dr. Nazla Rafeeq, spokesperson of the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) and Mabrook Azeez, Spokesperson at the President’s Office joining to update the public on the recent eases to precautionary measures against Covid-19.

Speaking to press, Mabrook revealed that the curfew hours will be reduced to 10 hours, starting from 6pm to 4am.

This was done in a bid to provide eases for citizens to do business and shop for essentials and resolve the challenges they face in shopping within such a small period. Mabrook revealed that businesses will also benefit a bit better from the two additional hours, introduced on Tuesday.

With this being said, Mabrook revealed that the government believes it needs to find a way for businesses to operate in their full capacity, in a safe and secure way.

Further the President’s Office spokesperson revealed that gyms will be opened for individual exercises from Wednesday onward.

As such, gyms will be open to the public from 5am to 6pm. Gyms in the capital region may operate just as salons are currently allowed to operate, after presenting a service plan and on an appointment-basis. The Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) will be carrying out inspections after which gyms will be approved to begin operations.

Although gyms are to resume operations, group sessions or classes will not be allowed.

Mabrook went on to reveal that authorities are working to allow travel between residential islands, with the required arrangements to be made with local councils.

These eases have been introduced a week after curfew hours were first reduced.

The Covid-19 caseload began spiking into the beginning of May, at a time Maldives was able to control a spike in cases into the beginning of the new year, with strengthened measures such as a curfew period and travel restrictions. However, authorities lifted the measures in place in time for the fasting month of Ramadan 1442 as well as the Local Council and Women’s Development Committee elections held in mid-April, which led to the caseload increasing like never observed before.

Measures were strengthened across the Maldives earlier in May with authorities having imposed a curfew in the capital region from 4pm to 4am. Effective May 26, the curfew hours were extended from 4pm to 8am. However, on June 15 healthcare authorities reduced the coronavirus curfew hours from 4pm to 4am, once more.

The curfew hours were reduced due to the decreasing Covid-19 case number being reported on a single-day basis since measures were strengthened across the capital region from May 26. Over the past few days, healthcare authorities have been confirming less than 100 new Covid-19 cases from the Maldives capital.

Although the coronavirus curfew hours have been reduced other restrictions will remain effective for another week.

Some of the other restrictions eased include, allowing individual exercises in public between 4am to 8am without the need for a permit.

In addition, mosques across the capital region are open for individual prayers. However, congregational prayers are still not permitted. Schools as well as offices and state institutions are to remain closed for another fortnight, as well as the halt on sports activities, individual exercises exempt.

It was also revealed that Greater Malé Region residents are still required to hold special permits to go out during non-curfew hours, for essential purposes. As such, outside of the curfew hours residents may go out to seek services at shops, takeaway services at cafés and restaurants. During the curfew hours, establishments are only allowed to offer delivery services.