The Health Protection Agency (HPA) will begin administering the second doses of the Covid-19 vaccinations on Saturday.

Spokesperson at the President’s Office, Mabrook Aziz made the reveal via a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, highlighting that the second doses will be administered from April 3 onwards.

He revealed that a large population of the country will be administered their second shots of Covid-19 vaccinations by May.

Highlighting that individuals will be allowed to travel without undergoing the mandatory quarantine period after getting their second Covid-19 vaccine shots, Mabrook stated that this will be applied internationally as well.

However, authorities have not disclosed a specific date to allow travel across the atolls, yet.

Mabrook revealed that discussions are currently underway to allow nationwide travel after the second doses are administered.

According to the latest Covid-19 vaccination updates provided by the public health authority, over 235,600 individuals have received their first vaccination jabs thus far across Maldives, since the “Covid-19 Dhifaau” inoculation drive was launched on February 1.

Maldives started the vaccination programme with the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccinations produced by India’s Serum Institute after receiving a donation of 200,000 doses earlier this year.

Further, authorities are also administering the Sinopharm vaccine produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products of China currently approved for use in more than 25 countries. China donated 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccines during the concluding month.