Government offices will be closed until April 30.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih made the decision on Friday, following the 14-day lockdown declared in the capital Malé City.

As per the previous four weeks, all essential services will be provided to the public without interruption, despite all offices being closed.

As such, all institutions have been asked to use a minimum number of staff in providing these services.

The President’s Office also stressed that the decision to keep government offices closed for an additional two weeks was made in efforts to control the spread of Covid-19 in the country, and urged all employees to follow the guidelines by health authorities.

Government offices have been closed since March 19, and President Solih all employees to stay at home “unless essential”.

While a 24-hour lockdown was imposed in the capital following a possible community spread after a woman from the city tested positive for coronavirus despite no recent travel history, it was extended by 14 days on Friday. The extension came after an eighth person tested positive from Malé, and authorities confirmed that three different clusters were found.

Patient 21 is the first confirmed case from the city, and while two direct contacts of her tested positive as well including her child, three contacts of the other individual had also contracted the virus. Two other cases announced on Friday do not have any connection to each other, or to the previously confirmed cases; they were tested upon presenting to the flu clinic in the city.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 28.