Covid-19: Maldives to require negative PCR tests for all visitors

All visitors arriving in the Maldives will be required to present a negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate upon arrival, from next week.

While the country’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) has made this mandatory, the Ministry of Tourism via Twitter announced that this will come into effect from September 10.

The rule is applicable “for all tourists and short term visitors” arriving in the island nation.

Maldives closed its borders following the Covid-19 pandemic for nearly four months, on March 27. While they were reopened on July 15, during the third phase of lockdown easing, visitors were not required to present PCR test results.

While some other countries require a negative test result to enter, Maldivian officials in mid-August made arrangements for visitors to conduct PCR tests prior to departure from the country.

While these tests can be done in five regions including three in the capital region and one each in the north and south, tests for guests on liveaboards can be done at a facility established near the Hulhumale’ Ferry Terminal.

The country’s first few Covid-19 cases were detected from resort islands, and there has been an increase in cases reported from resorts since the country reopened the tourism industry with the borders in July. As such, there are active cases in 14 resort islands currently.

The decision to make visitors present negative PCR tests comes after the decision to allow tourists to move from one resort to another to encourage longer stays. Further, guesthouses are set to reopen on October 15.

While the tourist arrivals has not been as high as predicted following border reopening, newly appointed Tourism Minister, Dr. Abdulla Mausoom said that the number is expected to reach 120,000 by December.

Maldives welcomed a record breaking 1.7 million tourist arrivals in 2019, and a two million target was made for 2020. However, following the pandemic, this was reducted to 850,000 and not to about 120,000 visitors.