Minister Mausoom urges tourist businesses to operate in adherence to guidelines

Tourism Minister Dr. Abdulla Mausoom has urged all tourist businesses to operate in adherence to the guidelines set out by authorities as safety measures amidst the pandemic.

Via a tweet yesterday, Minister Mausoom highlighted that nine South Asian tourists who had arrived in the Maldives had tested positive for COVID-19 on yesterday itself. The nine tourists include six Bangladeshis, seven Indians, one Sri Lanka and one Nepali.

Minister Mausoom also added that it is too early to deem that COVID-19 poses no danger to us anymore – hence highly urges tourist businesses to operate in adherence to the guidelines set out by health authorities.

A lot of easements have been given to restrictive measures taken against COVID-19 following a significant drop in the number of positive cases. However, South Asian tourists are only permitted unconditional stay at resorts and liveaboards.  

Fully vaccinated South Asian tourists are allowed conditional stay at tourist guesthouses in local islands. In this regard, 60 percent of the eligible population from such an island must be fully vaccinated.

Additionally, 95 percent of the guesthouse employees must be fully vaccinated and 90 percent of those who are above the age of 65 must be fully vaccinated. 

South Asian tourists are allowed to transit at Male’ area guesthouses for a period no longer than 48-hours.

Nevertheless, Tourism Ministry has noted that some guesthouses have been allowing the stay of South Asians – against the guidelines

While the Ministry has begun inspecting guesthouses – they have suspended the operations of some guesthouses for allowing the stay of South Asian tourists.