The Health Protection Agency (HPA) of the Maldives has submitted guidelines on health and safety ahead of the local council elections scheduled for 2021, according to a media report on Thursday.

The Agency submitted the guidelines to the Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) following parliamentary approval of an amendment that will allow elections to take place In spite of an ongoing state of public health emergency.

The ECM President Ahmed Shareef was quoted in a report, saying that the guidelines will be discussed in a meeting of the electoral advisory meeting on Thursday.

A final decision on the date of elections, which were originally scheduled to be held in April 2020, is expected to be made soon, Shareef said.