Covid-19 frontline allowance has been distributed to an additional 825 workers.

Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer announced this via Twitter on Sunday, adding that an additional MVR 13.4 million was distributed 825 frontline workers.

He said that 1,045 workers have received the allowance thus far.

Noting that more “will be paid soon,” Ameer said that work is ongoing “to process the allowance for these staff as soon as possible.”

The minister added that this is being done under a system development by the finance ministry, and stressed that the allowances are being paid “with proper documentation and authorization needed for audits and internal control, promoting accountability and due process.”

Minister Ameer announced the president’s decision grant an allowance for frontline workers, in May. Divided into three categories, the first one comprises of high-risk workers who are required to come into direct contact with Covid-19 patients.

The second category is, medium risk, are those required to work with high-risk individuals but do not have any direct contact with patients while the third category comprises of those that work at the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC), previously the National Emergency Operations Centre.

Those in the first category are entitled to MVR 500 every working day, while the medium-risk frontliners will receive MVR 250 with MVR 200 for those in the third category.

HEOC had previously said that the frontline workers will receive the allowance with July’s pay. A number of frontline workers have tested positive for Covid-19 as well.