MPs from the Nationalist Party have tried to skip the queue for COVID-19 vaccines, Malta’s Health Minister Chris Fearne has revealed.

Fearne was speaking in parliament after PN Leader Bernard Grech implied that the government was allowing people to jump the queue for the crucial vaccine.

“There were those who asked me to jump the queue, including your own MPs. If you have reservations, make them clear. Members of your own parliamentary group asked me and if you want I’ll tell you myself,” Fearne said. 

At this point, it is still unclear which MPs had asked for favourable treatment.

In an address right before, Prime Minister Robert Abela revealed plans that the government was considering increasing fines for people who breach COVID-19 regulations. This comes as numbers begin to increase and in the wake of an illegal rave over the weekend.

Over 29,200 people have taken the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. So far, Malta has been using the Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines, giving priority to vulnerable people and front liners. A Johnson and Johnson single jab dose has just been approved for use in the USA.