Malta’s medical union is threatening industrial action if the government continues to employ “half measures” in dealing with a recent COVID-19 spike ahead of an expected announcement on new regulations later today.

“The Medical Association of Malta (MAM) is genuinely pre-occupied by the statements of the PM who does not appear to fully comprehend the gravity of the situation for public health and the economy.”

“Particularly worrisome are misleading comments which have no basis in science, but have been repeated ad nauseam by the tourism industry.”

“It is blatantly untrue that Malta has the lowest number of cases but on the contrary, it has the highest number of new cases in the last two weeks per population in the EU, even after excluding migrants arriving by boat,”  the union said.

Malta’s medical union is calling for any gathering of any kind of more than ten people to be banned with immediate effect. Masks wearing and social distancing must be compulsory and enforced.

All Maltese citizens returning from abroad should be requested to swab or quarantine on arrival, while tourists should be obliged to swab 72 hours before visiting the island.

“MAM will have to re-activate all its directives as from Tuesday if government measures fall short of its expectations,” it said.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Robert Abela said that the government would reveal new measures later today, but dismissed recent concerns as a “panic” fuelled by misinformation.

“Furthermore, while the prime minister was on holiday in Sicily three patients were in intensive care,40 hospitalised, with 11 new cases in care homes. Vulnerable patients must be protected at all costs,” the union said.

Malta’s active cases are now at 537, but that is only figures no longer include migrants who disembarked in Malta and had already tested positive for COVID-19. There were 63 new patients and 111 recoveries announced yesterday.

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