Maldives plans to offer Covid vaccine on arrival

The Indian Ocean country’s tourism minister Abdulla Mausoom said offering vaccinations to tourists was part of its “visit, vaccinate and vacation” strategy in an interview with US TV channel CNBC.

Mausoom said offering vaccinations to holidaymakers would make it “more convenient” to visit the Maldives. Currently visitors have to provide a negative PCR test alongside proof of a hotel booking to enter the country.

But Mausoom did not set out any timeline for when tourists may start receiving vaccines on arrival and added that this programme would only begin once the entire population of the Maldives have received both doses of a vaccine.

Currently just over half of the Maldives population has received a first dose of a vaccine including 90% of tourism workers.