Govt. spends MVR 595 million on virus quarantine facilities

Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has stated that MVR 595 has so far been spent on quarantine facilities designated to house suspected COVID-19 cases and contacts of positive cases.

The Maldives now has quarantine facilities in every atoll of the country, most of which are resorts.

Speaking in today’s parliamentary session, Speaker Nasheed said that the government was working very hard to take care of people in quarantine and even gave details of the food arrangements made in the facilities for the holy month of Ramadan.

Nasheed said that he had obtained a list of food items offered in one facility. He noted that the list for breaking fast included items such as Chappati, Chicken curry, Chili fish, Rice, Pizza, Omelet, Cake, and juice.

“Around MVR 595 has been spent on quarantine facilities. The government is doing all it can do to make sure that the iftar arrangements are well made in the facilities. All the Ministers are working on it tirelessly,” said Nasheed.

Nasheed also noted that the Tourism Minister Ali Waheed, who is in charge of the facilities, was also breaking fast from the items available at the facilities.

The Maldives had imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all arrivals into the country, except tourists, on March 21. The measure was taken as a precaution against possible COVID-19 cases. There are currently 12 quarantine facilities in the Maldives capable of housing more than 1,100.