Worried about fast-spreading variants of coronavirus, authorities in the Maldives have stopped issued visa-on-arrival for tourists coming from South Asian countries, reported Rajje TV. Tourists from these countries are also banned from staying in residential islands. 

Over the last few weeks, the archipelago recorded a huge spike in daily cases. On Tuesday, it reported over 1500 cases. 

The Health Protection Agency (HPA)- the main body that manages the country’s Covid response- has announced several restrictions on Tuesday. Congregational prayers at mosques, in-house dining, and other gatherings have been banned. 

Indians were already banned from staying in residential islands. However, the detection of the Indian variant in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh created concern in the Maldives.

Maldivian health authorities have also expressed concern over the mounting caseload in the island nation, with the HPA recently has revealed that this could be a new and more infective variant.