Malé, Maldives — Only nine islands managed to meet the requirements needed to reopen the guesthouses in Maldives.
While the guesthouse operations were granted approval for reopening on October 15th, the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) revealed that most of the guesthouses in the atolls of Maldives did not meet the requirements needed to reopen during this time of Covid-19.
Therefore, the islands that were granted approval to reopen are:
- Maafushi in Kaafu Atoll
- Hura in Kaafu Atoll
- Thinadhoo in Vaavu Atoll
- Fulidhoo in Vaavu Atoll
- Fodhdhoo in Noonu Atoll
- Gaadhiffushi in Thaa Atoll
- Mathiveri in Alif Alif Atoll
- Hanimaadhoo in Haa Dhaalu Atoll
- Narudhoo in Shaviyani Atoll
During a press conference held on Wednesday, the Senior Executive Director of Tourism Minister, Ali Rizzan stated that only 16 houses in nine residential islands were given approval to reopen as they were the only places to meet the requirements given by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
However October 15th onwards, any guesthouse that meet the requirements given by the HPA will be given the approval to resume operations.
The requirements given by the HPA states that the guesthouse must have a Covid-19 safe plan and that it should be shared with the Tourism Ministry. After the plan is shared, the respective local council will be ensuring that the guesthouse meets the requirements needed to continue the services, and if they do, the Ministry will grant permission to the guesthouse to operate. The guesthouses are also required to have quarantine and isolation arrangements.
Furthermore, it has also made mandatory for all the residents to wear masks in an island where a guesthouse is given permission to operate. However, this remains optional if there are no tourists recieving services in the guesthouse.
