While guesthouses were granted approval to resume operations on October 15, the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) said that most do not meet the requirements to do so.
Tourism Ministry’s senior executive director, Ali Razzan joined HEOC’s Covid-19 press briefing on Wednesday, to share the latest regarding the reopening of guesthouses.
Noting that approval is given to guesthouses that meet requirements in accordance with the guidelines by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), Razzan said that 16 guesthouses in nine residential islands have been approved to resume operations from Thursday.
The nine islands are;
- Maafushi, Kaafu
- Hura, Kaafu
- Thinadhoo, Vaavu
- Fulidhoo, Vaavu
- Fodhdhoo, Noonu
- Gaadhiffushi, Thaa
- Mathiveri, Alif Alif
- Hanimaadhoo, Haa Dhaalu
- Narudhoo, Shaviyani
Additional guesthouses receive approval to resume operations after meeting the requirements.
This includes having a Covid-19 safe plan which has to be shared with the tourism ministry, who will grant the permission after the respective local councils ensure that they meet the requirements to resume services.
While each guesthouse is required to have quarantine and isolation arrangements, and the number of rooms depends on the number of tourist beds on an island.
Face masks have been mandatory in islands with operational guesthouses, however, they remain optional if the islands do not have any visitors even after guesthouses reopen.
