The President’s Office held a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, where Spokesperson Mabrook Azeez revealed that decision to lift the curfew across the virus epicenter Malé City.

During the press to update the public on the recent eases to precautionary measures against Covid-19, Mabrook revealed that the curfew across the capital will be dissolved completely, starting Thursday.

Cinemas will also be reopened under set guidelines by the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC), with gatherings of less than 30 people also allowed.

Mabrook revealed that businesses will be allowed to resume operations under guidelines set forth by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and that the government aims to allow business operations under the normal procedure, by establishing guidelines that ensure safety as businesses resume extensive services. As such, restaurants will be mandated to ensure distance between tables are maintained, with social distancing maintained as well as limiting the number of customers allowed inside shops and food outlets.

Touching down on allowing physical events, Mabrook noted that physical events and gatherings with less than 30 individuals will be allowed from Thursday, with cafés and restaurants allowed to provide dine-in services until 11:30pm.

Delivery services will remain the same as before.

Further the spokesperson revealed that the restriction on sports activities will also be dissolved, with which sport activities and class exercises will be allowed to resume. However, sports competitions and tournaments are yet to be permitted.

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. The curfew hours were reduced thrice round since then due to the decreasing Covid-19 case number being reported on a single-day basis.