The Minister of Health, Abdulla Ameen has hinted ease on some of the precautionary measures imposed in the Maldives capital, Malé City and other islands.

In an interview with state media PSM, the minister noted that a number of stringent measures have been taken in the authorities’ efforts to control the spread of Covid-19 across the capital as well as outlying atolls.

However, the minister noted that he believes it is time to ease some of these measures and that a number of citizens are facing difficulties due to the lockdown order.

Shedding light on the current situation of the capital city, Ameen noted that measures will be eased under a special plan in order to ensure things don’t get out of hand.

Further, he added that measures must also be eased for islands in which protective measures have been enforced.

In this regard, he noted that there are islands that have banned arrivals and departure for over 15 days.

The minister highlighted that the measures have not been lifted yet because the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) has expected the country to hit the Covid-19 peak in the coming days and under the instructions of health experts.

The ministry has compiled a special regulation under which the measures may be eased on select islands. However, he noted that measures may only be eased if the citizens comply with instructions on how to base their actions in a way that ensures the safety of the general public.

The Greater Malé Region went into lockdown on April 15, after the detection of the first community transmission and the lockdown is to remain in effect until May 28.