Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revealed 234 locals have arrived back in the Maldives on 2 repatriation flights from India.
The government arranged repatriation flights to bring Maldivians stranded in 16 different cities of India following the suspension of international flights and lockdowns imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, 2 flights of the national flag carrier, Maldivian, was used in bringing back locals stranded in Kolkata, Punjab, Gurgaon, Rishikesh, Delhi, Vellore, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin, Bangalore, Pune, Goa, Jamnagar, Ezhimala, Wellington and Pachmarhi. The flights travelled from New Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram.
The Maldivians evacuated include individuals with cancelled bookings and individuals whose treatments are on halt due to restrictions imposed in India to curb the spread of COVID-19. All individuals who arrived in the Maldives will be quarantined for a period of 14-days as per the protocols.