President to address the nation, his first since emergence of COVID-19 in Maldives

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is scheduled to deliver a national address this Thursday evening, his first since the emergence of the pandemic COVID-19 virus in Maldives.

The national address is scheduled to be aired at 4 pm this Thursday.

The President is expected to speak about the measures being implemented in Maldives in response to the deadly virus, which has spread to 120 countries, including the Maldives, and has now been declared a pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO).

He is also expected to speak about the government’s plans to mitigate the severe economic downfall expected in connection to the pandemic.

Eight people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Maldives, all of whom are foreign nationals who were either working or vacationing in resort islands Kuredu, Sandies Bathala and Kuramathi.

The President’s lack of public appearance despite the emergence of the deadly virus in Maldives has been criticized by the opposition.

However, Mabrook Azeez, the government’s spokesperson for the COVID-19 crisis, dismissed the criticism.

He said that the President remained on top of the situation, and was busy engaged in the day-to-day decision making required of him to manage the situation.

“But he will address you soon, I assure you,” said Mabrook.

The restrictive measures imposed by Health Protection Agency (HPA) on Kuredu, Sandies Bathala, and Kuramathi has now been lifted, but areas within the resorts remain cordoned off to hold people identified as high-risk who must remain isolated for a mandated duration.

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Editor’s note: This article initially reported the time of the national address as 2 pm. However, the address has since been postponed to 4 pm.