PCR Test No Longer Required to Travel from Malé to Local Islands

21 February, 2022

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has changed its guidelines, making it so that PCR tests are no longer required prior to traveling from the Greater Male’ Area to islands.

In an announcement made today, HPA revealed that changes are being brought to guidelines stipulated in two announcements made on 9th January 2022.

The changes being brought include discontinuation of the mandatory 72 hour PCR test when traveling from the Greater Male’ Area to islands.

HPA is also no longer placing limits set on the number of people that can gather in one place, and attend events and ceremonies in the Greater Male’ Area. In addition to this, the ban on spectators at sports events has also been revoked.

Although Maldives experienced a significant surge in the number of COVID-19 infections in January as a result of the more contagious Omicron variant, the number of daily cases have slowly begun to decrease.

Maldives reopened its borders to tourists of all nationalities on July 15, 2020, with rigorous procedures in place to ensure the safety of tourists and tourism workers.

Tourists are required to fill an online health declaration form within 24 hours prior to their departure, as well as have a negative PCR test result, conducted 96 hours prior to their departure.

In order to strengthen the measures, the administration of the Covid-19 vaccine was initiated on February 1 with the government of Maldives set to provide free Covid-19 vaccines to all citizens and residents of the country in the upcoming months.