Malé City Council has brought changes to the hours during which local markets in the Greater Malé Region will provide services to the people.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the council revealed that the changes will be implemented from Thursday onwards and was taken in accordance with the state of public health emergency declared across the entire Maldives on 12 March, as a precaution against the wide-spreading Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19).

As such, changes will be brought to the timings when the local market, fish market traveler’s market and the local markets in capital city Malé’s suburbs, Hulhumalé and Villimalé as well.

The new timings are as follows;

· Local market in Malé will be open for services from 6am to 4pm,

· Traveler’s market in Malé will be open for services from 6am to 4pm,

· Fish market in Malé will be open for services from 6am to 4pm, and

· Local market in Villimalé will be open for services from 6am to 4pm.

The city council has urged owners of the market slots as well as those who purchase items from the market, to abide by the new protocols.

There have been 19 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Maldives thus far, the most recent case being discovered on Wednesday, from a Maldivian who returned from the United Kingdom.

The government has been implementing several restrictive measures since, including closing down government offices, schools as well as local restaurants and eateries.