The Maldives Police Service (MPS) took action on 164 individuals for violating the Greater Malé Region lockdown on Sunday.

The authority has been publicizing their daily statistics for action taken on lockdown violators since the lockdown was imposed across the Greater Malé Region on April 15 after the first case of community transmission of the Covid-19 pandemic was discovered.

As such, a total of 157 individuals were fined on Sunday which is 44 individuals less compared to the number of individuals fined on Saturday, 201.

Further, seven individuals were arrested on Sunday, whereas nine were arrested on Saturday.

This pushes the total number of individuals under police custody for violating the lockdown orders, to 187.

While the lockdown will remain in effect until May 14, the government has been issuing permits to go outdoors for essentials every day since the lockdown was imposed, allowing one individual from each household to go out for essential supplies.

Under the orders of the Director General of Public Health, violators of the lockdown will be slapped with MVR 1,000 fines the first time round and repeat offenders will be arrested under Article 533 (a) of the Penal Code.

Authorities have continuously been pushing the public to obey guidelines set by the HPA for the safety and security of the community, stressing that the entire community is put at risk of contracting the virus due to a number of individuals who do not follow instructions set by the authorities for the safety of the community.