Health Protection Agency HPA has extended its restrictive measures taken against cafes/restaurants operating in the Greater Male' Area in a bid to curb the COVID-19 pandemic in the area.
HPA said that such establishments can serve dine-in customers from 06:00 am to 08:00 pm and these restrictive measures would be implemented up until Wednesday of this week.
HPA also said that the eateries can offer takeaway and delivery service till 10:30 pm.
The Agency had instructed all relevant organizations to help implement these measures.
This extension comes after restaurant owners voiced concerns about the lasting effects of such restrictive measures on these businesses and warned that most establishments would go out of business if these measures remain in place.
Last week, HPA had extended other restrictive measures it had taken in the Greater Male' Area including the curfew and vehicle ban currently in place in the area to further deter the rampant infection.
The pandemic cases in the Maldives continue to rise amid the restrictive measures with HPA confirming 81 new cases of the COVID-19 pandemic yesterday.
HPA said that this includes 52 from the Greater Male' Area, 22 from inhabited islands, and 7 from operational resorts.
This takes the total cases to a staggering 22,373 with 19,879 recoveries reported in the country.
The pandemic has killed 65 individuals in the country including 58 locals and 7 foreigners.
