Malta To Scrap Vaccine Certificate Rules For Most Places Next Month
Malta will scrap its controversial vaccine certificate rules in most instances next month, Health Minister Chris Fearne has just announced.
As of 7th February, vaccine certificates will no longer be obligatory to enter restaurants, snack bars or kazini.
From 14th February, the vaccine certificate rules will be scrapped for bars, gyms, and pools.
It will remain obligatory for sports events, casinos, nightclubs and travel.
Fearne also suggested that quarantine for primary contacts of COVID-19 positive people could soon be reduced from seven to five days and then scrapped altogether.
He said the current data indicates this could happen in the second half of February but couldn’t provide an exact date.
The Health Minister also confirmed that the health authorities intend village feasts to return this summer and that meetings with feast enthusiasts and the Curia will be held in this regard. However, he warned it is too early to confirm this as a fact.
Fearne said the COVID-19 situation has improved thanks to the high uptake of the booster shot, with some 75% of the adult population receiving the booster so far.
“It was thanks to the booster that hospitalisations and ITU admissions have remained low and that the number of new daily cases has been on the decline over the past month,” he said.
Although the vaccine certificate rules were only introduced last week, Fearne insisted that “scientific criteria” allowed the authorities to scrap them.
“Although science isn’t always popular, it is almost always right and silence now allows us to keep easing restrictions and enjoying social and cultural life without endangering public health,” he said.
Do you agree with this decision?