The Parliament of the Maldives has passed the Public Health Emergency Bill, which grants a special leave for employees who are unable to travel to another island for work due to restrictions set by the government.
The bill was submitted to the parliament on behalf of the government by Parliamentarian Hussain Mohamed Didi. The bill was approved with amendments by the Parliamentary Committee on Social Affairs on August 27. The bill was passed by the parliament with votes from 57 parliamentarians.
During the committee stage, an amendment was approved to grant a paid leave for employees who are unable to travel due to a measure taken by the Director General of Public Health. The committee concluded individuals in such circumstances are entitled to a special paid leave, without having to produce a medical certificate. As per the committee report, the measure was taken to ease trouble of moving from one island to another amid the pandemic and to mitigate the spread of the virus. The committee also included an amendment to grant a paid leave for employees who are placed in quarantine.
The Public Health Emergency Bill was proposed in an effort to formulate procedures and policies to adhere to during a pandemic. The bill will also allow swift decision making as government tries to control the outbreak.