Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revoked the decision to allow campaign trips to be conducted without quarantine.
On March 11, HPA issued a revised guideline for the upcoming local council elections, allowing candidates to travel from Male’ to islands up to 5 days without quarantine. However, HPA announced on March 12 that the decision has been revoked, following public concerns.
HPA had initially revised the guideline following a meeting held with the Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) and the Parliamentary Committee on Independent Institutions on the difficulties faced due to the guidelines set for the election. The revised guideline had stated candidates travelling from Male’ or another region with active COVID-19 cases to islands without any reported cases can stay at an island for their campaign for a maximum of 5 days without quarantine. The guideline stated candidates and their teams travelling for more than 5 days are required to undergo quarantine for 10 days.
HPA had further stated candidates and their representatives are required to seek permission from HPA before travelling. They must present a negative PCR test result, conducted 72 hours before the scheduled time of departure.
Furthermore, the revised guideline stated door-to-door activities are not permitted, although rallies are permitted in an open space for a short duration.
The local council elections are scheduled to be held on April 10. The Electoral Act states candidates must be provided a minimum of 28 days to conduct their campaign.