Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) prepares to transfer high-risk prisoners to house arrest.
MCS made the decision to transfer high-risk prisoners to their homes to minimise the risk of infection during the current surge in COVID-19 cases. MCS is currently identifying high-risk prisoners with families willing to accommodate them and those who have no family to care for them. It has not disclosed the number of high-risk prisoners that will be transferred to house arrest.
A total of 78 individuals from Maafushi Prison have tested positive for COVID-19, including 66 prisoners and 12 officers. MCS stated 215 prisoners and three officers are currently under quarantine.
Strict health measures have been put in place at prisons due to the high number of positive COVID-19 cases. The Maldives is currently experiencing its fourth wave in COVID-19 infections, following the spread of the Omicron variant in the country.