Gozo Channel Staff And Passengers Seen Ignoring Public Health Measures
Photos sent to Lovin Malta have shown Gozo Channel staff members and passengers aboard the ferry not wearing face masks, despite the current health measures in place.
A number of passengers aboard the ferry that refrained from wearing face masks were allegedly not approached by staff members.
Only last week, the Gozo Channel released a notice obliging all passengers to wear face masks aboard ferries and at the terminals.
When approached by Lovin Malta, a Gozo Channel duty manager said that staff members are not only required to wear face masks, but are also given new face masks every morning at the start of their shift.
Last May, the Gozo Channel also brought to a sudden halt passenger screening, which stirred up ample controversy on social media.
Regarding this issue, Nationalist MP and spokesman for Gozo Affairs Chris Said said, “The Gozo Minister has issued no statement on the matter. During last Monday’s sitting, I asked the minister why the Gozo Channel stopped this service, and who decided to stop it.”
“Amazingly, he told me he wasn’t informed that the screening had stopped – and this despite the fact that, like me, he crosses between Malta and Gozo on a nearly daily basis.”
Although Malta has handled the COVID-19 crisis well, with only five active cases currently on the island, a lot of confusion has arisen regarding face mask usage.
Only yesterday, Prime Minister Robert Abela refused to clarify whether wearing masks in stores is required by law.
Abela has previously said that there never was a legal obligation to wear masks but advised people to wear them anyway.
However, the Health Ministry later said that it is actually against the law not to wear masks inside establishments and that the officials of the Environmental Health Directorate are still conducting inspections to ensure compliance.