Former President Dr. Mohamed Waheed has been summoned to the police for violating the Health Protection Agency (HPA)’s Covid-19 safety guidelines.

He has been asked to present himself to the police headquarters at 4pm on Sunday.

The former president has been summoned for questioning for violating the Covid-19 safety guidelines while participating in an opposition rally on Friday; he was seen without a face mask, which is mandatory in public.

While other organizers were also not wearing masks at the protest, they had violated other guidelines including social distancing rules.

Hence, the police said that they will be investigating this and taking the appropriate measures.

While the opposition, comprising of former ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People’s National Congress (PNC), recently announced a series of protest calling to released their jailed leader and former President Abdulla Yameen, there has been a sudden increase in Covid-19 cases detected in the island nation since July.

The risks are especially high in the capital, where the opposition protest was held on Friday.

In addition to the former president, senior PPM official Ibrahim Shujau has been summoned to police for questioning as well. He is to present himself at 7pm.

The two are have been summoned following immense criticism from the public, over authorities’ decision to allow the rally despite the ongoing pandemic.

Face masks were made mandatory in public from August 1, and is part of the government’s attempts to contain Covid-19 without returning to a state of lockdown.