Police will be on the lookout for individuals without face masks, from Saturday.

While the government has made face masks mandatory in public, those caught without masks are to be fined MVR 1,000.

The decision comes following a surge in Covid-19 cases in the island nation.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) stressed that masks “must be worn properly covering nose, mouth and chin” and added that the only exceptions to this are; children below two years of age, while exercising as well as those who need assistance to wear and remove the mask.

Police said that its Covid-19 frontline officers will be strictly enforcing the HPA guideline, from Saturday.

While masks have been mandatory, health officials have appealed to the public to stay home unless absolutely necessary given that Covid-19 projections show a surge in cases in the next few weeks.

The country is currently in phase three of lockdown easing, and Health Minister Abdulla Ameen has stated that there are no plans to reintroduce a lockdown but that the government’s aim is to impose the required preventive measures.