Male’, Maldives – The government of Maldives has extended the State of Public Health Emergency initially announced in the country on 7th March 2020, for a ninth time, to 5th December, 2020.
The newly appointed Minister of Health of Maldives, Ahmed Naseem (Kerafa Naseem) ordered the extension on Tuesday evening, after the last extension of the State of Public Health Emergency was due to expire today.
In the announcement, Minister Naseed said that that the Director General of Public Health stills advises that the threat of a severe nationwide outbreak remain, due to which Maldives needs to implement special measures to mitigate the threat and ascertain the health and safety of the public.
The Public Health Act grants the Minister of Health to declare a community, regional or nation wide public health emergency, should there be evidence that establishes such a need to do so, and that the situation requires special intervention to solve or contain it.
The declaration of a state of public health emergency on March 12, due to the Covid-19 pandemic is the first time the country did so, since the Act’s enactment in 2012.
