Charmaine Gauci Dismisses Call For Mask Rule Return And Claims Vaccine Saved 800 Lives In A Year
Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci has dismissed suggestions that mask-wearing should once again become mandatory in certain places as a response to the latest spike in COVID-19 cases.
Interviewed by Andrew Azzopardi on 103 Malta’s Heart, Gauci took a very different position to the cautionary stance she has largely adopted since the start of the pandemic.
“If you’re old or you have a chronic illness and you’re going to a place full of people, we urge you to wear an FFP2 mask,” she said as discussion turned to the latest spike.
Here, Azzopardi asked her why Malta hasn’t followed Cyprus in making mask-wearing mandatory in certain instances, just as on the bus and in closed indoor spaces.
“Some people need more hand-holding, some are more aware and some are ashamed that others might ask them why they’re still wearing a mask,” he argued. “Why aren’t certain measures introduced? I don’t think it’s a big deal to oblige everyone older than 60 to wear a mask on the bus or in closed spaces like churches.”
However, Gauci dismissed this suggestion, stating that mandatory rules are introduced to protect the population and the health authorities are now encouraging people to protect themselves.
This represents a clear policy shift, with Gauci having introduced two national mask mandates during the pandemic that saw people fined, even when they were going for a solo walk.
Yet she now cited the ECDC as stating the pandemic has moved on to a “post-acute” phase and acknowledged that life is about way more than protecting oneself against the virus.
“People, including the elderly, need to live fulfilling lives and go out and socialise. We could put that on hold for a while but imagine what would have happened if we kept on going in that direction.”
During the interview, Gauci also announced that 50% of people eligible for the second booster (ie. those older than 65 and immunocompromised people) have received the jab.
“This is a very high uptake when you consider the EU average is only 12%,” she said. “The people of Malta continue trusting the health authorities cos we analyse documentation, liaise with other countries, and evaluate when is best to take the booster. We have enough vaccines for the whole population but we must offer them at the best time.”
Questioned about the efficacy of the vaccine, Gauci referred to a modelling study carried out by the WHO and the ECDC which estimated that the vaccine helped Malta avert 800 deaths in a year.
She didn’t give further details about the study and dodged questions about reports that the vaccine caused long-lasting harm to some people.
Are you still concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic?
READ NEXT: Health Ministry Does Not Have Financial Details On Cost Of COVID-19 On Malta’s Healthcare System
