Health Emergency Operations Center HEOC Spokesperson Dr. Fathimath Nazla Rafeeq says the Health Protection Agency HPA has concluded the large-scale inspection it initiated in the Greater Male’ Area last month.
Updating the local media on the latest developments regarding the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Nazla said that HPA was temporarily halting the large-scale inspection of the capital city and had inspected 1546 establishments for the adherence to HPA guidelines on further preventing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Nazla also said that in the course of the inspection HPA had closed down 246 establishments in Male’, Hulhumale’ and Villimale’.
She said today alone HPA had inspected 137 establishments and had closed down 9 of those establishments. Dr. Nazla said that these include 5 shops, 3 salons/ barbershops, and 1 café’/ restaurant.
HEOC Spokesperson said although the inspection was concluded today, HPA plans to hold more inspections like that in the near future.
Dr. Nazla also noted that at the beginning of the inspection around 50 percent of the establishments inspected were disobeying HPA rules and standards but as the inspection progressed more and more establishments were seen to be implementing HPA guidelines more frequently.
HPA’s inspection coincided with the recent surge of new cases of COVID-19 in the country especially in the Greater Male Area with over 120 cases reported in the Capital city in the last 24 hours alone.
