Health Emergency Operations Center HEOC says Maldivian authorities are holding discussions on taking precautionary measures as a new strain of the COVID-19 pandemic grapples much of Europe.
A growing number of countries are stepping up restrictions on travel to and from the UK which reported a more infectious COVID-19 strain.
Countries including Germany, Italy, Belgium, Ireland, Turkey, and Canada are suspending UK flights while France has closed its border with the UK for 48 hours, with no lorries or ferry passengers able to sail from the port of Dover.
Speaking at the latest news briefing by the HEOC, its spokesperson Dr. Fathimath Nazla Rafeeq said that Maldivian authorities were closely monitoring the situation in the UK.
She assured that the Maldivian officials were holding discussions on whether or not to strengthen the current cautionary measures in place to fight the on-going pandemic.
Dr. Nazla said to fight any new strain of the COVID-19 virus, all involved must ensure that the current measures in place are enforced responsibly and that this responsibility now rests on those managing tourist establishments across the country.
She said any new strain can be fought off by maintaining self-hygiene and the spread of any new strain can be deterred using these practices.
Many countries, mostly in Europe, are taking stern precautionary measures because of the new strain.
BBC reports that in the EU, many countries - including France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Austria, Portugal, Sweden, and Belgium - have already announced temporary bans on flights from the UK, although several countries have allowed exceptions for freight traffic.
BBC said that other countries introducing new restrictions on UK travel include Hong Kong, Israel, Iran, Croatia, Argentina, El Salvador, Chile, Morocco and Kuwait.4
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has suspended all international flights for one week because of the pandemic.
The latest statistics from Maldives Immigration shows that 6348 tourists from the UK arrived in the Maldives in this month alone. Maldives Airports Company Limited MACL had confirmed earlier that the British Airways resumed operations to the Maldives with 250 passengers arriving on the 5th of December.
Also, MACL had announced that all inbound visitors from the UK can fly direct with Sri Lankan Airlines with two flights for the route per week.
