Tourists with negative COVID PCR report can visit Maldives as VISA-on-arrival resumes

President-elect of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and current Maldives foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid who is on a visit to India on Thursday affirmed that any tourist with a negative COVID PCR test report can visit the Maldives.

"Maldives is ready to receive everyone with a negative PCR report"

While responding to the current situation of tourism in the country, the Maldives Foreign Minister said that his country is ready to receive everyone. "We have very strict health protocols in place. Any tourist who comes to the Maldives with a negative PCR test can come into the Maldives, they get escorted to the islands under these strict protocols, instructions," Shahid added.
As per the Maldivian Foreign Minister, the government has given top priority to make sure that tourists feel at home while visiting the country.

"98% of employees working in tourist resorts are now vaccinated"

"As a result of our highest preference for the tourism industry 98% of those working in tourist resorts are now vaccinated with two doses," the Maldivian Foreign Minister said. The minister added that the government had decided to vaccinate tourism-centric workers for guests and tourists staying in resorts and hotels to feel comfortable that people who are serving them and who are coming in contact are fully vaccinated.  It may be noted here that, earlier, in the wake of the second wave of COVID, several countries had imposed travel restrictions on Indian travellers, including Maldives.

The Maldives resumes VISA-on-arrival

However, last month, after reviewing the current situation and the fall in the number of COVID cases in the country, Maldives resumed VISA-on-arrival for South Asian countries including India, starting from July 15.

Notably, marking his first foreign visit, the President-elect of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Foreign Minister of Maldives, Abdulla Shahid had arrived in India on July 21. Shahid will be in the country on an official visit till July 24. He was received by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Joint Secretary at the Indian Ocean Region Division (JS IOR) Amit Narang in New Delhi. Shahid is said to pay a courtesy call to the Prime Minister while talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on key international, multilateral, regional, and bilateral issues of mutual interest are underway.