A PN councillor has denounced the President’s plans to organise a fundraising walk in December, despite Malta’s on-going battle with COVID-19.

“I can’t believe this,” Santa Venera councillor Darren Carrabott wrote after being approached by the President’s office to organise a 2km socially-distanced event for charity.

“In the depths of a pandemic, when Malta has lost 60 victims to COVID-19, the Office of the President is promoting a mass event next month for every locality in Malta and Gozo. It’s surreal,” he lambasted.

Every year, a fundraising event is held called the President’s Fun Walk. However, this year large gatherings are off the table, with groups of people limited to six to curb virus transmissions.

However, the Office of the President seems adamant on steamrolling ahead, proposing that participants stay in small groups and less than 100 people participate in each locality.

Carabott urged that other alternatives to a mass gathering are considered, like fundraising through virtual events.

“I would be willing to do my part wholeheartedly if we looked into other means of gathering funds,” he wrote. “But we cannot bring people together in these times.”