Malé City Council has closed off parks and public spaces where people gather in the capital, to the public.

The city council revealed that the decision was reached amid growing fears of the rapidly-spreading Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) that was discovered in the Maldives last weekend, and in compliance with the state of public health emergency across the entire nation on Thursday.

This is effective Friday, 13 March and some of the more common public spaces that have been closed off are the Sultan Park, the Republic Square and all other spaces where the public tends to gather.

The decision comes after the declaration of a state of public health emergency in the country, and is part of the council's efforts, with joint cooperation from relevant authorities, to ensure the safety and security of the capital’s residents.

This includes canceling the annual night market which is held every year prior to the fasting month of Ramadan.

The government has been pushing precautionary measures and for the public to adhere to the regulations and advice from health experts amid the mounting fear of the spread of the fatal disease in the Maldives. As such, the government has advised against holding large public gatherings, as this adds to the risk of flu catching the air.

And while schools were set to reopen on March 13 after mid-term break, this has been delayed by a week. Local Council Elections has been delayed by two weeks.