The United Kingdom has decided to place the Maldives on its red list on May 12 over the spike in COVID-19 cases in the country.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated travellers will be required to be quarantined for 10 days upon arrival and take a test for COVID-19 during the quarantine. The ministry urged travellers to take precautions and to obtain the latest information before travel, as the rules are liable to change. The UK has added Turkey, Nepal, and the Maldives on its red list due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the countries.
Statistics from the Ministry of Tourism states a large number of tourist arrivals are from the UK, which has contributed to 2.8% of tourist arrivals so far this year.
Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows a rising number of COVID-19 cases in cases worldwide this year, which has surpassed the numbers recorded in the first six months of the pandemic. WHO warns the likelihood of the spread of a new variant of the virus has become more likely.