Authorities have brought changes to the seven-hour curfew announced in the greater Malé region.

In a gazette publication on Friday night, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that the changes were brought in compliance with the Public Health Act, which gives power to the country’s Director General of Public Health to make such decisions.

The new publication reveals that movement within the region comprising of capital Malé City, Hulhumalé and Villimalé, Thilafushi and Gulhifalhu, has been restricted from 11pm to 4am.

Following this, food outlets such as cafés and restaurants operating in the region will be required to close by 10:30pm.

The seven-hour curfew was initially introduced in early August, in an effort to contain and control the recent rise in Covid-19 cases across the island nation.

Individuals will not be allowed on the streets and operating vehicles is also banned during the curfew period. Takeaway and delivery services will also be prohibited during the curfew hours.

HPA pushed the public to adhere to the guidelines provided by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) when travelling within the Greater Malé Region.

As before, Maldives Police Service (MPS) will be active on the streets to enforce it.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic surfaced in the Maldives on March 7, authorities had been implementing a number of measures as part of the response efforts and announced a three-hour curfew across the region in April. A community transmission was detection in the region on April 15 which provoked a full lockdown which remained for months before authorities began easing it in phases. The country is currently in phase three of lockdown easing.