MALE, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- It would take up to two years for the Maldives to revive its pandemic-hit and tourism-dependent economy, the country's President Ibrahim Solih was quoted by local media as saying.
The president made the remarks when he delivered an address Thursday marking the reconvening of the Maldives parliament, local media reported on Friday.
Solih highlighted the continuing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the way forward in his speech.
"We established a treatment system, trained a total of 362 health workers, and today, we are capable of carrying out more than 5,600 COVID-19 tests a day," Solih said.
Solih urged citizens to register for vaccinations in order to speed up the process of restarting businesses and schools. He noted the relief given to workers and businesses amid the pandemic in the form of subsidies and low-interest loans.
He said it would take up to two years to revive the tourism-dependant economy, which has been one of the most affected sectors by the pandemic.
"In order to recover as soon as possible, the government has begun working on diversifying the economy and significantly boosting our economic activity," Solih said.
The Maldives parliament will hold its first sitting for this year on Feb. 8.