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COVID-19: National airline halts domestic flights amid lockdown

Ahmed Aiham
19 April 2020, MVT 15:57
A domestic flight owned by national airline 'Maldivian'. PHOTO: ZOOM'S PHOTOGRAPHY / MIHAARU FILES
Ahmed Aiham
19 April 2020, MVT 15:57

National airline 'Maldivian' on Saturday, indefinitely halted its domestic flight services amid nationwide travel ban over the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

The company also ceased its international flights over global travel restrictions. However, the Maldives government has maintained its policy to repatriate all Maldivians abroad, who wish to return home.

In addition to the nationwide travel ban enacted last Thursday, HPA also extended the lockdown on the greater Male' region until May 1.

Authorities tightened the precautionary measures amidst the pandemic following the first confirmed case of community spread in Male' City, MAV021, a local female with no recent travel history, who presented to the flu clinic in Male after developing symptoms. She was tested positive on April 15.

Maldives now has 49 confirmed and 33 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 16 recoveries. A total of 1,081 suspect cases were placed in quarantine while 61 others have been isolated.

The World Health Organization has classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. The novel coronavirus has infected over 2.3 million people and claimed over 160,700 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than 599,900 people have recovered.

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