President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announces that the main responsibilities entrusted to the National Emergency Operations Center NEOC would be shifted to the Health Ministry as the country moves to a new phase in the fight against COVID-19.

President made the comments on his visit to the NEOC this evening at which he met with the many staff based there that had been working tirelessly to coordinate the Government’s overall response to the pandemic.

President thanked the staff of NEOC collectively for their hard work, on behalf of himself and Maldivian citizens.

He noted that the NEOC represents the largest multi-sectoral government operations center ever established in the Maldives, underscoring the unprecedented challenges that the virus forced us to confront.

President Solih acknowledged that the NEOC’s efforts to implement the Government’s emergency responses, under the overall guidance of the health authorities, are largely why the Maldives successfully averted a healthcare disaster and kept most of the population safe from the virus.

Whilst delivering remarks, the President commented that moving to this new phase is part of the Government’s overall strategy to steer the country towards a 'new normal'. He stated that everyone's support and hard work will still be crucial in this new stage, in order to successfully put the pandemic behind us.