The government on Sunday announced its decision to shorten the mandatory quarantine period to 14 days for people arriving in the Maldives from abroad or travelling to other islands from the capital city of Male’.
Speaking at a press conference, Undersecretary for Communications at the President’s Office Mabrouq Abdul Azeez confirmed the reversal of the initial decision to mandate a 24-day period for individuals observing home quarantine.
Although the standard period for quarantine at facilities is 14 days, the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) attributed the decision to mandate a 24-day period for home quarantine to ensure accurate antibody tests.
Antibody testing, or serology testing, determines whether an individual has developed antibodies against COVID-19 after having being infected with the virus in the past. Most people develop antibodies 9 to 11 days after infection.
Acknowledging the difficulties of home quarantine, particularly in islands, Mabrouq assured that authorities would collect samples to conduct a PCR test fifteen days after quarantine begins and convey results by the eighteenth day.
People under home quarantine are not permitted to leave their homes before receiving their test results.
Individuals are only allowed to complete quarantine periods at home if their residences fulfil certain requirements. This includes the availability of a separate room in which the person in question may isolate themselves. If a house does not meet the criteria, the individual must be quarantined at a facility.
The Maldives presently records a total of 2,035 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 714 are active cases. The country records 1,311 recoveries and eight deaths.
WHO has classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. The new strain of novel coronavirus has infected over 8 million people and claimed over 436,100 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, 4.1 million people.
Full details are available at the link below:
Source URL: Google News
