President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has decided that the government institutions will officially reopen this Sunday, 8 August 2021, after remaining temporarily closed as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19 in the Maldives.

This decision was publicized today, as the 23rd directive issued by the President’s Office this year. The directive refers to the Health Protection Agency's (HPA) announcement (No: 68/2021), issued on 5 August 2021, permitting employees to return to working at their office premises from 8 August 2021.

The directive issued by the President's Office today stated that all employees should abide by the guidelines in the 19th directive released by the President's Office, as they return to working at their respective agencies' premises.

Government offices are encouraged to ensure that staff complete their work within regular hours and avoid staying in the office past work hours unless for shift duty. If it is absolutely necessary that offices should remain open after regular hours, they are encouraged to close by 4 p.m. at the latest. To reduce the necessity of physical interactions, government institutions should identify which of their services could be provided online, and subsequently implement and regulate such means.

Additionally, in light of the economic situation caused by the pandemic, agencies are advised to undertake necessary expense-reductions. Government institutions should reduce printing costs and work digitally to the extent possible. They should also implement all possible cost-cutting measures in order to reduce the strain on the national budget.

The directive also mandates offices to implement good hygiene practices and ensure social distancing, per the measures outlined in the relevant Civil Service Commission (CSC) Circular, developed in consultation with the HPA.