Gov't extends reopening of state institutions for essential work

The government has extended the reopening of some state institutions that provide essential services for the people.

The decision was announced by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih through the 17th directive issued by the President’s Office on Thursday.

Earlier, the government announced that government institutions are to be partially opened from May 31 to June 11, to allow essential services.

The extension is from June 14 – 18 and government offices are allowed to operate on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9am to 1pm for essential services and to complete urgent tasks.

Although some government offices and institutions have been reopened, they are not open for the general public. As such, individuals may not enter any of the premises seeking services.

The management of respective government institutions must determine whether or not to deploy employees to complete tasks during a time or day of the week when the institution is closed. While doing so, these institutions must ensure that a minimum number of employees attend to such cases.

Further, the directive notes that it is mandatory for institutions to inform the Health Protection Agency (HPA) throughout this process, of the task they wish to complete outside of working hours. They are also to seek HPA’s recommendations before deploying employees to work.

Employees at these state institutions must adhere to all safety instructions by HPA for their own safety against the Covid-19 pandemic.

The president has urged employees who are able to provide their services through online platforms to continue to do so at home.

The government initially decided to close all government offices and institutions on March 19, and some of them were re-opened after a period of two months.