Government of the Maldives has stated it has not discussed closing the country's borders following the rise of COVID-19 cases.
Spokesperson at the President's Office Mohamed Mabrook Azeez said the government has not discussed closing the border for a second time, responding to a question at a press conference held by the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC). Due to the significant rise in COVID-19 cases in the Maldives, the government has temporarily halted issuing tourist visas to visitors from South Asian countries.
The government closed the borders for three months last year over the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened the country for travellers on July 15, 2020. The government has stated it does not expect the country to close its borders again and highlighted that the number of inbound flights and tourist arrivals upon reopening the borders has exceeded expectations.
Although the Maldives has recorded over 440,000 tourist arrivals so far this year, the number of visitors has recently diminished due to the current COVID-19 situation and the off-season for tourism.
Due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, the government has imposed curfews and strict restrictions in a large part of the country and has advised the public to adhere to the COVID-19 health guidelines and regulations. Minister of Finance Ibrahim Ameer has stated the Maldivian tourism industry is expected to recover by early next year.