Popular coffee shop and the first ever commercial coffee roaster in the Maldives, Meraki Coffee Roasters has closed its door to the public.

The café announced that its services have been brought to a stop from 9pm of Tuesday onwards, “until further notice”.

This was done as a precautionary measure at a time the fears of the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic are growing increasingly across the globe.

This was done as a precautionary measure for the safety of the Maldivian community, Meraki wrote via Twitter while announcing their shut down. Apologizing for any inconvenience caused, the café expressed hope that everyone will continue to support one another and do their part in slowing the spread of the disease.

Owned by the government’s spokesperson for all things Covid-19, Mabrook Aziz, the coffee roaster is renowned among the people and is a go-to hub for several.

The Covid-19 spokesperson earlier urged café owners and restaurant chains to close their doors for services, as it is unsafe to host large gatherings at this critical time.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Mabrook added that although the government offices have temporarily been closed, this is “not the time” for people to “go for coffees” and get together.

The best thing to do right now, is to stay home, said Mabrook.