Malta must open its economy further and allow people to return to work in a safe and responsible way, the Chamber of Commerce has said.

The Chamber, which represents several major Maltese businesses, said societies must learn to live with COVID-19 as it is unrealistic to try and eliminate the virus without a widely available vaccine.

“We have to stop focusing on ridding Malta of the virus in the shortest space of time and consider that we need to learn to live with COVID-19 until a vaccine is found,” Chamber President David Xuereb said.

“This means social distancing and hygiene remain highly important, and vulnerable people must continue to be protected.”

Xuereb said steps towards reopening the economy further must be taken as quickly as possible with the utmost professionally and responsibility to ensure the number of people infected with the virus at any given moment remains low.

“We should not open at all costs. Confidence must be re-introduced into the economy responsibly and in a way that respects all safety standards,” he said.

Xuereb urged the government to communicate new health and safety requirements for employers as clearly and quickly as possible.

“We need to return to work, and those who are scared should only be if their employer is not prepared to provide for a safe work environment,” he said.

“Let’s go to work, let’s give all we can, maybe a little bit more than before, so that hopefully we can lift ourselves from this situation safely, quickly and sustainably – not just on a business level, but a personal level and a national level.”

Prime Minister Robert Abela is expected to announce the easing of restrictive measures, including the reopening of restaurants and hair salons, later on today.