Male’, Maldives – Singaporean airline ‘SilkAir’ has announced that it would be resuming flights to the Maldives from 1st December onwards.
According to the schedule released by the airline, two flights would be operated from Changi Airport in Singapore to Velana International Airport of Maldives on a semi-weekly basis, as opposed to the daily flights operated between the two countries prior to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Although SilkAir has announced the resuming of flights between both countries, Singapore Air is yet to announce the decision, if any. In the mean time, the Ministry of Tourism is currently negotiating a ‘Travel Bubble’ between Singapore and Maldives, to increase the number of travelers between the two countries. However, an agreement has not yet been made.
As the risk of Covid-19 is still very real, the regulations to enter Maldives in terms of safety precautions are still strict. According to the guidelines of tourist arrivals, all visitors would be subjected to symptom checks including fever and any symptomatic individual must undergo testing, of which the cost must be borne by the tourist. Any symptomatic individual traveling with a group, will result in the entire group being tested. While some tourists may also be subject to random testing, this cost will be borne by the state. All treatment for Covid-19 will also be done at the cost of Maldives. Currently there are 9 tourists and 16 resort employees, as active cases of Covid-19 in the Maldives, which accounts for 20 different resorts.
Although there are several cases of Covid-19 in the country within the tourist resort, Maldives has been working hard to to become a tourist-safe zone, having have earned the title by World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) on the 15th of September. Multiple resorts have since opened up with safety measures in place, to provide the ultimate vacation experience in the paradise on Earth they call home.
