The Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Tuesday (June 23) announced that the Indian Ocean island country will open its borders on July 15 after almost a four months of closure due to the outbreak of the global pandemic, COVID-19.
The country had closed its borders on March 27 to stop the spread of the virus that resulted in impacting its largely tourism-dependent economy.
President Solih also outlined the Maldivian government’s major planned activities to help the country recover and rebuild under a ‘new normal’ after the COVID-19 halt.
He said, “On July 15, the country will re-open its borders for international travel, and the government will allow resorts to welcome visitors. This will provide much-needed relief to our tourism industry and accelerate the country’s economic recovery.”
July will also witness the further easing of temporary restrictive measures in the Maldives.
Prayers in the congregation are expected to resume, students will return to classrooms, restaurants and cafes will open for dine-in service according to the President.
Guesthouses are also expected to resume business in August.
The country has a total of 2,217 COVID-19 confirmed cases, out of which 1,813 recovered and active number stands at 394.
Of the total COVID-19 cases, 1,442 were foreigners while 775 were from the Maldives.
The country had recorded its first coronavirus case on March 7 and by April 15, the greater Male region had gone into a complete lockdown.
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Source URL: Google News
