Malta’s entertainment lobby has called on Malta and Gozo not to “jeopardise” the collective effort taken to stop the spread of COVID-19 across the islands.

As Carnival weekend approaches, news that farmhouses and other types of accommodation are nearly fully-booked has led to fears that we’ll be seeing a spike shortly afterwards, similar to what happened following hundreds of cars going up to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Gozo.

“Despite various measures in place, and with sectors, such as the Arts and Entertainment, represented by MEIA, in complete lockdown ever since the first cases started being registered early last year, our forecast indicates that the situation for the sectors will remain unchanged until late September this year,” the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association said.

“MEIA will continue to support the measures and guidelines of the Health Authorities and reiterate the responsibility of every individual to reduce the spread of the virus.”

They called on people to be responsible during this critical time to ensure that Malta’s entertainment industry, which has been on lockdown for months now, including over the busy summer and Christmas periods, can return sooner rather than later

“MEIA members need to be able to look forward to a period of time, in the near future, in which theatres can run at full capacity, in which weddings can be held in the way we all grew to love, in which festivals can attract crowds without feeling unsafe; in which the arts can be taught in the optimal conditions we are all used to; and in which the whole country can truly enjoy and reap the benefits of a fully functioning Arts and Entertainment Industry,” they said.

Saying the entertainment industry will be last to recover from the pandemic, they urged for the island’s collective effort not to be “compromised or jeopardised” just because of Carnival celebrations.

Typically, hundreds of Maltese people go to Gozo to celebrate Carnival at the Nadur celebration, known for its often grotesque and uncensored costumes. However, this year’s celebration has already been called off in Nadur by the local council in light of rising COVID-19 numbers.

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