The quarantine period for those traveling to outlying islands from the capital is to be reduced to 10 days, from Friday.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has reduced the quarantine period for those traveling to outlying islands from the capital, those traveling to islands from resorts, those traveling from islands with operational guesthouses as well as those arriving from abroad; the latter does not include tourists.

While those identified as direct contacts of confirmed Covid-19 patients will have to quarantine for 14 days, all required to quarantine will only be released after testing negative for Covid-19.

Currently, those traveling to outlying islands from the capital and resorts as well as those returning from abroad are required to quarantine for 14 days.

This is part of the efforts to ensure that the virus does not spread among island communities.

While Maldives has confirmed 13,049 Covid-19 cases since March, there are active cases in 25 atolls, 67 in tourist establishments, 151 in islands under development and one in an industrial island. Most of the cases, 783 cases are in the capital region.

Additional Covid-19 safety measures are to be implemented in outlying islands from Friday, including requirement of face masks in public and social distancing rules.

Further, those that have to travel to islands for a short period for work purposes can do so with the submission of a negative PCR test taken less than 72 hours before departure.