The Maldives Police Service (MPS) has imposed fines on over 6,000 individuals for violating the lockdown order thus far.

On Saturday alone, the authority took action on 218 lockdown violations.

According to the authority’s daily publication of lockdown violations on Sunday morning, this number is significantly high in comparison to the 162 violations recorded at the beginning of the weekend.

On Saturday, police officers patrolling the streets of the Greater Malé Region imposed fines on 208 individuals, whereas 155 individuals were slapped with fines on Friday.

Out of the 208, 195 were from the capital city, 11 from Hulhumalé and two from Villimalé.

With this, a total of 6,293 individuals have been fined thus far out of which 5,498 are from Malé, 686 from Hulhumalé and 109 from Villimalé.

Thus far, the total of individuals taken into police custody for breaching the lockdown sits at 355, out of which seven were arrested on Friday, which is less in comparison to the 10 arrests that followed on Saturday.

All 10 individuals arrested on Saturday were from Malé and out of the 355 in total, 315 are from Malé, 37 are from Hulhumalé and three from Villimalé.

The authorities began implementing the lockdown easing plan on Friday, and it is currently in phase one.

Under the orders of the Director General of Public Health, first time violators of the lockdown were fined MVR 1,000 fines and repeat offenders were arrested under Article 533 (a) of the Penal Code.

Since the Maldives capital Malé City was locked down on April 15 following the detection of the first ever Covid-19 community transmission, police had been issuing daily permits for individuals to go out for essential supplies. Authorities continue to issue permits, to three individuals from each households, even now.