Malta’s government has announced a relief project to help restaurants and snack bars devastated by another round of COVID-19 closures, providing €1,000 to every operator in the country. 

Earlier today, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo explained that the total cost of the initiative will be around €2 million. 

Applicants will need to submit a form to the Malta Tourism Authority to benefit from the scheme.

The announcement comes a day after Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that all restaurants and snack bars will be closed until 11th April. They have also been added to the COVID-19 wage supplement. 

Last January, the government had announced a similar scheme for bars, providing each of them with  €2,700 to combat government-enforced closures that kicked off in December and continues till today. 

Chefs and restaurant owners across the Maltese islands have expressed their disappointment to the recent closures after an entire year of investing in things like perspex divisions, protective clothing and visors, hand sanitiser, and other items to be in line with guidelines, they were still being forced to close due to a lack of discipline among some segments of the population.

Today, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci told Lovin Malta that the arrival of an infectious COVID-19 variant and an inability to maintain social distancing were the basis of the government’s decision.

Planned events in private houses have also be limited to a maximum of four households, with a €100 fine for every person caught in breach of the law. 

Hospital visits, contact sport for children younger than 16 and mass organised events have also been banned, except for weddings and religious events.

The measures will apply till 11th April.

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