Health Protection Agency, HPA has brought new changes to covid restrictions considering the most recent situation. The changes brought includes some restrictions and eases for travelers, both local, expatriate workers traveling to Maldives on work permit visa and tourists. 

In this regard, HPA has announced that people who have completed two doses of WHO approved covid vaccines can now travel to Maldives without quarantine. The newly announced regulation states that the travelers coming to Maldives from abroad, both local and expatriate workers, should have had their last dose of the vaccine at least 14 days prior to their arrival to Maldives in order to avoid quarantine. Furthermore, people who had contracted the disease yet not passed the 60-day mark can also travel to Maldives without quarantine requirement, HPA added in their new regulations released last night. Children traveling with people who completed their doses as well as those who got covid positive are excused from quarantine as well.

But there are some measures that such people have to follow, including having a PCR negative result, done less than 72 hours prior to Maldives. In addition, children who travel with adults who completed vaccination have to do a PCR test 5-7 days on arrival to Maldives.

HPA said that those who does not fit to any of the above category will have to follow normal quarantine rules. Such individuals have to complete 14 days of quarantine and do a PCR test before being able to go outside to any public place. These policies will come in effect on 26th of this month for both locals and foreigners who travel to Maldives on work permit visa.

Meanwhile, the recent changes to the policy also states that all tourists who check-in to guest houses in islands have to have completed their two doses of WHO approved vaccines. Earlier, tourists traveling from all Countries except for South Asian Countries, can travel to guest houses in the islands without having been fully vaccinated. But now, tourists from all countries can travel to guest houses in the island if they have completed the two doses of vaccine. Children traveling with such tourists can also check-in to guest houses in islands. Tourists traveling to guest houses in islands also must have a PCR negative result, done less than 72 hours prior to arrival in Maldives. They also must complete a PCR test prior to departure, which has to be negative, in order for them to travel back. 

The HPA policy also states exemptions for vaccination requirement for tourists traveling to guest houses in islands. This includes rule which states that 60 percent of local population of the island must have been fully vaccinated to allow tourists to travel to the guest houses without having completed their two doses of vaccine. 95 percent of those working in tourist establishments must also have been fully vaccinated in order to allow tourists without full vaccination to travel to guest houses in the islands.