Covid-19: resort staff may travel 14 days after last tourist departs

The government has made arrangements for resort staff to travel anywhere they wish, within a set protocol.

This was revealed via a press conference held at the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) on Wednesday, where President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih provided the latest information regarding the Covid-19 situation in the Maldives, to the public.

As such, the president noted that resort staff will be allowed to leave their respective islands of employment after a 14-day period, starting from the departure of the last tourist on the resort.

Following this, resort staff will be allowed to return home or anywhere they wish, after completing the required before after the last tourist on the resort departs.

Earlier, the government imposed precautionary travel restrictions between resorts and all inhabited islands of the country. Director General of the Public Health of the Maldives took the precautionary measure pursuant to the powers vested by Section 34(d) of the Public Health Protection Act in order to combat the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Maldives.

Under the restriction, all travel between inhabited islands of Maldives and resorts has been banned for a period of 14 days. Resort staff who accompany outgoing tourists to airports are exempt from this restriction and the Ministry of Tourism ordered resort managements to closely monitor the travel routes of their employees.

Further, authorities also imposed a 14-day period for resort staff who travel to their island of employment, on arrival.

Resort workers have been expressing concern due to issues they face in connection to these cases, urging the government for lockdown and even starting a movement titled "Visit Maldives later!".

Thus far, all 13 confirmed cases in the Maldives have been from foreigners and in resorts; five in Kuredu Island Resort and two each from Sandies Bathala, Kuramathi, Anantara Dhigu and Island Safari 1.