Tourism Minister Dr. Abdullah Mausoom has announced that guesthouses and hotels in the Greater Male' Area are set to reopen on the 14th of this month.

In a tweet, Dr. Mausoom said these tourist establishments would be permitted to open later this month. He also said that guests who check-in to these establishments must present a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to the admission.

The Minister thanked President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Health Protection Agency HPA, and the Health Ministry and said that the industry can welcome the new year in style.

This comes after the number of COVID-19 cases reported in the Greater Male' Area has been dropping in the last few weeks and with the arrival of more tourists into the country. The government had said earlier that said the number of COVID-19 cases reported daily must drop to below 5 percent for two consecutive weeks before guesthouses in the Greater Male' Area are allowed to resume operations.

The government had allowed guesthouses in other parts of the country to resume operations last October and since then have approved 139 guesthouses across the country to open their doors for business.