Travellers from UK required to undergo home quarantine

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has tightened restrictions on travellers from the United Kingdom, making home quarantine mandatory upon arrival.

The measure is effective starting Sunday, December 27.

HPA announced in a statement on Saturday that Maldivians who were in the UK within 14 days prior to arrival to Maldives, Maldivians who made a transit stop to the UK lasting over 12 hours, and work visa holders will hereafter be required to undergo 10 days of home quarantine upon arrival to Maldives.

They will also undergo COVID-19 PCR test within five and 10 days of arrival to Maldives.

All travellers from the UK are required to present proof of a negative COVD-19 PCR test taken within no more than 96 hours when travelling to Maldives.

The decision to make quarantine mandatory for travellers from UK comes as a more contagious variant of the COVID-19 spreads within the UK, prompting several countries to close their borders to travellers from the country.

Cases of the variant of COVID-19 have been confirmed in several additional European countries, including France, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.