The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is allowing resort staff to travel before the last tourist departs if no symptomatic individuals are found.

According to the HPA's previous circular, resort staff were allowed to leave their respective islands of employment after a 14-day period, starting from the departure of the last tourist on the resort. Permission to travel was granted upon completing the necessary forms and submitting them to HPA.

The change to protocol follows the suspension of on-arrival visas to the Maldives. The country suspended on-arrival visas on March 27th.

Other changes brought to the protocol include allowing people at resorts or safaris under monitoring status to leave upon the status being lifted. However, permission will only be granted if no symptomatic individuals are found.

Likewise, if an individual develops symptoms during the 14-day period after a confirmed case is found, permission to disembark will only be granted after an additional 14-day period without the discovery of another symptomatic individual and an exit-screening procedure.

If a confirmed case is found and another person contracts the virus from them, permission to disembark will be granted after 28 days. If another symptomatic individual is discovered within the 38-day period, an additional 14-day monitoring period will be imposed.

The Maldives declared a 30-day state of health emergency on March 12th, to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the country.