Unvaccinated persons barred from entering schools starting from September

Education Ministry has decided to bar unvaccinated persons against COVID-19 from entering schools starting from September 1.

In a statement released by the Ministry today, they noted that this step was being taken to ensure that physical studies remain uninterrupted after its resumption at the beginning of the new academic year.

The statement further read that starting from September 1, only persons who have completed both doses of the vaccine will be allowed inside schools – however, noted that the rule will only be applicable to those who are of an eligible age to receive the vaccine.

Education Ministry further detailed via a tweet that this will include school staff as well. However, students will be exempt from this rule as the eligible age to receive the vaccine in the Maldives are those above the age of 18.

The Government has recently begun a nationwide vaccination campaign with an aim to inoculate 90 percent of the eligible population by the end of this month.

Maldives halted conducting physical classes for students upon the discovery of the first COVID-19 case in the country back in March 2020. Following this, classed were conducted online.

During this period, a television program was broadcasted by the Education Ministry under the name ‘Telikilass’ aimed at conducting classes for students of all grades.

However, due to a decrease in cases, physical classes resumed earlier this year – and was once again canceled subsequent to a spike in cases.

Physical classes are scheduled to resume again at the start of the new academic year set to begin this month.

At present, Covishield, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, and Pfizer vaccines are being administered in the Maldives. While Russia’s Sputnik vaccine has been approved for emergency use in the Maldives – the country has yet to stock on the said vaccine.

As per the latest stats, a total of 321,764 people has completed the first dose of the vaccine in the Maldives, out of which 264,913 people have received their second dose – accounting for over 50 percent of the eligible population.