Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has revealed plans to ease the country’s Covid-19 lockdown, adding that measures will be reenacted if situation worsens.

The president made the statement while addressing the nation on Wednesday night.

While Malé City has been on lockdown since April 15, the current lockdown will end on May 28.

President Solih said that authorities are working to ease the restrictions by then, given that the country’s Covid-19 situation remains the same, adding that this “will be done in phases”. As such, the first phase will include lifting movement restriction measures, as well as easing processes for businesses.

Social gatherings will not be allowed in the first phase, but the president noted that there are plans for this as well.

Mosques, cafés and hotels are to be reopened later on, and schools and other education institutions will also resume under certain procedures as well government and the private sector.

Solih said that relevant institutions will provide details of the new normal phases “in the coming days”.

The president stressed that the city’s lockdown will be lifted after increasing Covid-19 testing capacity as well as treatment resources.

While unauthorized travel between all islands in also banned currently, the President emphasized that the plan is to bring those islands with no detected cases “to normal status as soon as possible”.