Government evacuates 159 locals from two Indian cities

The government of Maldives has evacuated 159 locals stranded in the cities of Kochi and Bangalore, India.

A large number of Maldivians have been returned from abroad amid the global pandemic crisis of Covid-19. Those returned today included many who had traveled abroad under the Aasandha healthcare scheme. The flight carrying them landed in the afternoon.

The government had also evacuated many locals in Trivandrum, India. It is believed that there are around 8000 locals stranded abroad, according to government spokesperson Mabrouq Azeez who had previously stated that there were challenges posed in their repatriation.

The government has so far brought back 100 from Sri Lanka, 388 from India, 197 from Malaysia. All of the returnees have to complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine period.