HPA urges use of face masks, amid surge in Covid-19 cases

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has urged the people to use face masks once again, especially in crowded places، following a significant rise in Covid 19 cases reported.

The announcement by HPA reads that Covid-19 cases have been surging in recent days across different parts of the world, and that Maldives too is also experiencing a coronavirus surge currently.

As such, Covid-19 infections reported in the third week of June saw an increase of 185 percent compared to the second week of June.

HPA revealed that the number of hospital admissions has been increasing in the past few weeks , adding that so far in June, three Covid-19 fatalities have also been reported.

With this being said and as residents across the nation are planning to travel in time for the upcoming Eid and school holidays, the public health authority has urged to take precautionary measures, in order to help curb the spread of the virus as well as common cold and other airborne diseases.

As such the public has been urged to use face masks in public spaces where large crowds of people gather, as well as closed spaces. Those at a high-risk of complications from Covid-19 have been especially urged to follow these measures.

Further, the people have also been urged to wear face masks when attending school, office, the airport, shops, ferry, bus as well as seaplane terminals, mosques and banks.

As places that provide healthcare services are usually filled with high-risk individuals, HPA has urged the people to wear face masks when visiting hospitals health centers and clinics for the safety of everyone. The public health authority has also urged the people to limit hospital visitations and not visit hospitals unless necessary.

HPA has also urged those who exhibit Covid-19 symptoms, to use face masks, isolate themselves as soon as they detect the symptoms and get tested.

The public has also been urged to keep public and open spaces clean and disinfected at all times, on a regular basis.

Stressing on the importance of regular sanitization and hand-washing, HPA also urged the public to get their vaccine doses against Covid-19 as well as influenza.

Urging travelers to ensure the Covid-19 situation in their travel destinations is controlled, HPA revealed that travelers must take the necessary precautions before making their bookings and ensure they are fully vaccinated before travelling.

The public health authority also urged the public to refrain from hosting and attending large gatherings, unless completely necessary. Organizers have been urged to stick to the guidelines and safety precautions in place when planning events.

Authorities have not yet revealed any plans to officially implement stricter measures against the rise in Covid-19 cases.