More serious enforcement of COVID-19 mitigation measures are needed to avoid a lockdown in Malta, the Chamber of Commerce has said.

As Malta faces one of the toughest weeks in regards rising case numbers – as well as the spread of highly infectious variants of the virus – the Chamber urged for a greater sense of discipline to avoid an even direr situation than the current one.

“Now is not the time to become complacent,” they said today. “The roll-out of the vaccine should not be a reason for us to let down our guard. The developments in Europe and the rest of the world have shown that this is a turning point in the pandemic and we cannot and must not be guided by this false sense of security. The vaccine surely is a step towards curbing this pandemic, yet we still have a long road ahead.”

They warned that any further restrictive measures rolled out would be “detrimental” to Malta’s economy, and urged companies to provide remote working when possible to minimise the spread of the virus.

“The Chamber believes that if we all join forces we can lead the way to recovery. Every effort, no matter how small, has a significant impact. Therefore, the Malta Chamber urges its members and the business community at large to do their part by strictly observing the mitigation measures in the workplace and offering teleworking wherever possible,” they said.

“Only those workers who have no other option but to work on site should be asked to do so. Any social gatherings should be avoided, both in the workplace and beyond.”

Just yesterday, Malta found another 258 cases of COVID-19 on the island; indeed, a total of 1,090 infections were discovered over the last five days, with the average daily numbers the highest they’ve ever been.