The government has announced the official working hours for state institutions and government offices during the upcoming fasting month of Ramadan.

On Tuesday, the President’s Office revealed via its fourth directive of the year, that working hours for government institutions and offices have been set from 9am to 1pm during the fasting month.

The same working hours will be effective during the first seven days of Shawwal, the Islamic month that follows right after Ramadan, which will begin two weeks into April.

Ramadan 1442 falls at a time the country is driving through an overwhelming third peak of the global Covid-19 pandemic, which began sweeping across the globe in December 2019. During the fasting month last year, the populous capital Malé City was in a state of lockdown following the discovery of a community transmission of the virus, on 15 April 2020.

This was met with public concern due to difficulties faced in acquiring household essentials in time for Ramadan. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) had ensured that each household was able to stock up on essentials within a specific time period given under special permission granted to one person from each household for essential purposes during the month. Ramadan 1442 approaches as the public remains fearful of another lockdown being implemented across the capital region, however, the public health authority remains resolute to avoid imposing a second lockdown.

Currently, strict measures and precautions as a safeguard against the looming threat of Covid-19 are in place across the capital, including a nearly six-hour curfew from 11pm to 4:30am as well as restrictions on vehicle movement from 6pm to 6am. Some of the islands in outlying atolls are currently being placed under monitoring due to a rise in infections being reported from residential islands as well.

Director General of Public Health Maimoona Aboobakuru has since hinted that these measures could be eased in time for the fasting month, while guaranteeing the safety and security of citizens to the authorities’ best efforts.

With this being said, the government has urged all state institutions and offices to strictly adhere to the procedures outlined in the previous directive publicized by the President’s Office regarding preventative measures in the workplace.