Mabrouq: Rescue flights will be sent for Maldivians overseas, if necessary

Government spokesperson Mohamed Mabrouq Azeez, on Tuesday, said the government would dispatch rescue flights, if circumstances required any Maldivian national overseas to exit the country they were in due to the coronavirus pandemic, and return home to Maldives.

The travel restrictions being implemented across the globe over the COVID-19 pandemic have left many Maldivian nationals overseas stranded and unable to return home.

At a press conference at the National Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday night, Mabrouq said that now was not a safe time to travel, and that it was wiser for Maldivian nationals overseas to remain where they were.

Foreign Ministry is working on collecting data on Maldivian nationals overseas in order to keep track of them and look after their wellbeing.

“If exiting these locations becomes possible and if we establish that they need to be evacuated out of the country, we will arrange rescue flights to carry them [home]. If they need to be evacuated,” said Mabrouq, who also serves as the Undersecretary at the President’s Office.

Maldives, which has declared a state of public health emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, has further tightened its measures to prevent a local outbreak of the new virus by ordering all inbound air passengers to Maldives to undergo 14-day quarantine at a designated government facility.

The order applies to both Maldivian and foreign nationals, with the exception of tourists with resort bookings.

Several resort islands, which have been closed down due to lack of bookings over the pandemic, have been repurposed as quarantine facilities to hold inbound passengers.

Mabrouq noted that 17 Maldivian medical students, who the government had attempted to evacuate out of Nepal, had been left stranded. He said the government would ensure their safety and wellbeing.

“What we can do is ensure they have proper accommodation, that they receive food, that they are in a safe environment. We will do this in every foreign country,” he said.

Mabrouq said the government was working to accommodate the wishes of Maldivian nationals overseas as much as possible, but would not rush into decisions, but take measures decisions after thorough risk assessments.

“We are committed to spending on ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our people until our last coin,” said Mabrouq.