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Germany requires travellers from ‘risk areas’ to take coronavirus test, Maldives included
Germany will require people arriving from countries deemed high risk, such as the Maldives, to take coronavirus tests starting this weekend, the health minister Jens Spahn said Thursday, as the country recorded its highest daily tally of new infections in three months.
German officials have voiced alarm over a steady upward creep in the number of new infections over recent weeks. The national disease control centre, the Robert Koch Institute, said 1,045 cases were recorded on Wednesday — the first time since May 7 that it has counted more than 1,000 new cases in a day.
Daily figures can be volatile or distorted by delays in reporting, and the number is still far short of the peak of more than 6,000 reached in early April.
Who needs to be tested?
People entering from countries deemed high-risk are already required to quarantine for 14 days unless they can present a negative test result no more than two days old.
Starting Saturday, people arriving from those countries will also be required to take a test unless they bring a new test result with them.
The cost of the test will be borne by the German government.
Travellers who refuse tests could face fines of up to 25,000 euros ($29,600), but the exact amount is up to local authorities.
Spahn suggested airline travellers from outside the EU should provide a recent test before they are allowed to board a plane to the 27-nation bloc, an idea that would need approval by all EU member states.
What are the risk areas?
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) maintains a list of risk areas that they update on a daily basis.
Broadly, the list features countries and territories with significantly higher levels of coronavirus infection than Germany. It extends to most of the world outside the Europe Union, as well as Luxembourg, parts of northern Spain and the Belgian city of Antwerp.
The Maldives is also included in the list.
Germany’s Covid-19 response has been widely regarded as relatively successful. The Robert Koch Institute has recorded 9,175 deaths from over 213,000 confirmed cases — a lower death rate than in many comparable countries.
Key market
Germany is one of the key traditional source markets for the Maldives tourism industry.
Arrivals from Germany saw 11.9 per cent year-over-year increase in 2019, as the number of Germans that holidayed in the Maldives rose to 131,561 — 7.7 per cent of the total arrivals — from 117,532 in 2018. This growth enabled Germany to retain its position as the fourth biggest source market.
Since the Maldives reopened its borders on July 15, German tourists have shown an increasing appetite for the tropical climate of the Indian Ocean tourist paradise.
A total of 135 German holidaymakers visited the Maldives in July, making it the fourth biggest post-reopening source market for Maldives tourism.
With the border reopening, resorts and hotels on uninhabited islands as well as liveaboard vessels are now allowed to host tourists (please see a rolling list of resort reopenings here).
Guesthouses and hotels located on inhabited islands will be allowed to reopen later. Passengers on cruise ships and yachts will be barred from disembarking at inhabited islands until then.
Thirty-day free on-arrival visa will be issued to all tourists with a confirmed booking for a stay at any registered tourist facility in the country. The entire holiday has to be booked at a single facility except for transit arrangements.
There will be no mandatory quarantine or testing on arrival. Tourists will only have to complete a health declaration form.
But visitors with symptoms of the Covid-19 respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus or those travelling with someone who has similar symptoms will be tested at their expense.
The coronavirus outbreak has hit the Maldivian economy hard, as travel restrictions and other preventive measures affect the country’s lucrative tourism industry, which contributes the bulk of the island nation’s state revenue and foreign reserves.
Before the pandemic, the government had been bullish about tourism prospects, targeting two million, high-spending holidaymakers this year after last year’s record 1.7 million.
However, only 382,760 tourists visited the Maldives before the country closed its borders on March 27. It was a 40.8 per cent decline over the 646,092 that visited the Maldives from January to March last year.
Meanwhile, the government’s best case scenario now puts total tourist arrivals for 2020 just above 800,000.
Tourism has been the bedrock of the Maldives’ economic success. The $5 billion-dollar economy grew by 6.7 per cent in 2018 with tourism generating 60 per cent of foreign income.
However, the government is at present projecting a possible 13 per cent economic contraction this year — an estimated $778 million hit.
On March 8, Maldives reported its first cases of the novel coronavirus, as two hotel employees tested positive for Covid-19 at a luxury resort in the archipelago.
Eighteen more cases — all foreigners working or staying resorts and liveaboard vessels except five Maldivians who had returned from abroad — were later identified.
A six-case cluster of locals, detected in capital Male on April 15, confirmed community transmission of the coronavirus. Several more clusters have since been identified, bringing the total number of confirmed case in the Maldives to 4,680.
Nineteen deaths have been reported, while 2,725 have made full recoveries.
The Maldives announced a state of public health emergency on March 12, the first such declaration under a recent public health protection law.
The public health emergency declaration allowed the government to introduce a series of unprecedented restrictive and social distancing measures, including stay-at-home orders in capital Male and its suburbs, a ban on inter-island transport and public gatherings across the country, and a nationwide closing of government offices, schools, colleges and universities.
Non-essential services and public places in the capital such as gyms, cinemas and parks were also shut.
Restaurants and cafes in the capital were asked to stop dine-in service and switch to takeaway and delivery.
A nationwide shutdown of all guesthouses, city hotels and spa facilities located on inhabited islands was also ordered.
The restrictions are now being eased in phases, with the third phase measures now active.
Photo: Sun Online
Centara Hotels & Resorts Maldives has invited guests to celebrate Songkran this April across its resorts in the Maldives, marking the Thai New Year through a series of experiences inspired by the brand’s Thai heritage.
The hotel group said the celebrations would reflect Thai culture and hospitality while adapting traditional Songkran elements to island settings in the Maldives. Across its resorts, the festival is being presented through activities centred on renewal, togetherness and shared experiences.
At Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives, located within The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts, the celebration is set to take place in a family-focused setting. The resort said guests could take part in water activities, beach games and poolside gatherings, followed by a Songkran carnival by the sea. Evening dining experiences will feature Thai flavours in a setting designed for families and groups.
At Machchafushi Island Resort & Spa Maldives, part of The Centara Collection, the programme will include a beachfront parade and traditional Thai games. The resort said evening events would continue with a Thai-inspired dining experience, cultural performances and entertainment. Activities for younger guests will also be included as part of the celebrations.
Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives, which caters to adults, is also marking Songkran with its own programme. The resort said guests could expect beachside activities, evening dining experiences and entertainment shaped around the festival’s themes of joy and togetherness.
Centara Hotels & Resorts Maldives said the Songkran celebrations across its properties are intended to give guests an opportunity to experience Thai-inspired traditions in the Maldives while creating shared holiday experiences during the festival period.
Easter at Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa brought together gastronomy and family-focused activities, with Michelin-starred chef Christian Sturm-Willms joining the resort for a culinary residency.
Chef Sturm-Willms, head chef of Michelin-starred restaurant YUNICO in Bonn, is known for a style that combines Japanese technique with Mediterranean and contemporary European influences. He has led the restaurant since 2012, and YUNICO has retained its Michelin star since 2016.
During the week, the chef presented his cuisine through a series of events at the resort. A sunset cocktail on the beach welcomed Marriott Bonvoy Elite members, where guests were introduced to his work through a selection of signature canapés. The main culinary event took place at Tabemasu, where Chef Sturm-Willms partnered with the resort’s executive chef, Muthuraman Subramaniam, for a five-course four-hands dinner.
The menu included dishes such as yellowfin tuna yukke and grilled scallop with avocado cream and mastudo aioli, as well as beef tenderloin served with nut butter foam. Each course was paired with wine. The menu also featured Chef Muthu’s agedashi tofu soup with yuzu kosho sorbet, while dessert was a muscovado kombu tart, described as a signature YUNICO dish.
The Easter programme continued on Easter Sunday with a buffet, a chef’s corner and a live cooking station.
Alongside the culinary events, the resort also organised a week of family activities based on a farm theme. At the Family Kids Hub, children took part in arts and crafts, cooking classes, scavenger hunts, sand golf, kids’ night camping and an Easter egg hunt, along with a visit from the Easter Bunny.
The collaboration also included sessions for the resort’s staff. Chef Sturm-Willms and his sous chef, Jannik Schrack, held a session with the culinary team on their work and the standards involved in achieving Michelin recognition. Melanie Hetzel, food and beverage manager and sommelier at YUNICO, also conducted workshops for service teams covering service standards as well as wine and saké.
Thomas Schult, general manager of Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa, said the Easter programme combined gastronomy, family experiences and creativity across the island. He said the residency brought together international culinary talent and the work of the resort’s team across activities and dining experiences.
Chef Sturm-Willms said it had been a pleasure to work with Chef Muthu and the culinary team at the resort. He said the collaboration reflected the importance of sharing knowledge and passion through cooking.
Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa is located on Thilamaafushi Island in Lhaviyani Atoll. The resort features 134 villas, including two-bedroom beach and overwater villas designed for families. It said its offering combines marine experiences, dining and family activities aimed at guests of all ages.
The Standard, Maldives has announced the launch of a new Premium All-Inclusive experience from May 2026, introducing an enhanced offering aimed at travellers seeking a seamless island holiday in Raa Atoll.
The resort said the new package was designed to combine dining, experiences and entertainment with the natural setting of the Maldives. It added that the offering had been curated with Indian travellers in mind, as India continues to grow as a source market for Maldivian tourism.
The package begins with champagne on arrival and includes access to dining across the resort’s outlets. Guests will be able to choose from three restaurants for lunch and five restaurants for dinner with prior reservation. The resort said the dining programme would range from Mediterranean dishes at Onda to Maldivian cuisine at Guduguda, offering guests a varied culinary experience throughout their stay.
The package also includes a beverage programme featuring premium spirits, wines, cocktails and beers, as well as a fully stocked minibar in each villa.
The culinary programme is led by Director of Culinary Nandakumar Dharuman. The resort said his Indian background adds familiarity for Indian travellers, with Indian breakfast options available alongside international selections. Vegetarian and Jain meals can also be prepared on request.
The Standard, Maldives said the resort would continue to offer a lively atmosphere through activities held during the week, including DJ nights, fire dance performances, bingo evenings and other social events. Breakfast DJ sessions are also part of the programme. In addition, guests booking the Premium All-Inclusive package will receive one complimentary 30-minute spa treatment and one island excursion.
Sonika Adlakha, commercial director of The Standard, Maldives, said India remained an important and growing market for the resort. She said the new Premium All-Inclusive experience was intended to offer Indian travellers a stay that combined dining, entertainment and the natural appeal of the Maldives.
Alongside its social spaces, the resort said it also offers quieter areas for guests seeking a more relaxed experience. All villas at the property include private pools and spacious living areas, allowing guests to stay close to the resort’s dining and entertainment facilities while also enjoying privacy.
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