President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has commended the government institutions and the Maldivian citizens for supporting the COVID-19 recovery efforts.
Speaking to the press, President Solih said the support of citizens for the government's COVID-19 recovery efforts have contributed to the country recovering to a new normal state. President Solih noted that the recovery efforts have resulted in the opening of businesses and the Maldives tourism industry, as well as the opening of schools.
The president reiterated the government's efforts to vaccinate adolescents aged 12 to 17 with the Pfizer vaccine, which has been approved for administration in that age group by the World Health Organisation (WHO). He highlighted the Maldives is one of the few countries that have opened schools and said the government plans to begin a large programme to vaccinate all eligible students. He further added the government's nationwide vaccination programme aims to fully vaccinate all eligible Maldivians, as inoculating the population is key to ensuring further recovery.
Regarding the state of the economy, President Solih said that national imports and exports, as well as the state revenue, have significantly increased in July compared to the same period last year.
Additionally, the president noted that almost all guesthouses and resorts in the country are now in operation and that the number of tourist arrivals is also increasing. He said the improvement in the economy has also resulted in more employment and the re-opening of small businesses.
Responding to questions, President Solih said the government is currently in discussions with international experts on assisting Island Aviation Service Limited (IASL), as it has not yet recovered financially following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that his wish is for all eligible Maldivians to be fully vaccinated in order to ensure further recovery.