New Finance Minister Clyde Caruana has said Malta shouldn’t introduce COVID-19 vaccination ‘certificates’, which would allow inoculated people to do things that they wouldn’t be allowed without one.

“I don’t think so, I think people should be free to do what they think is best for them and their families,” Caruana said in an interview with Lovin Malta. “I don’t think governments should push it to the extreme that they control everything and everyone.”

“The vaccine is there for everyone to take, I’m quite sure that a significant number of people will go for it, and this in turn will help stabilise the situation.”

International discussion on potential vaccination certificates has been heating up in recent days, with the WHO stating they could open up international travel and the International Air Transport Association confirming they’re finalising a digital health pass which will store travellers’ vaccine information. 

Asked whether tourists should only be allowed into Malta if they present a vaccine certificate, Caruana said such topics must be agreed upon at an EU level. 

“In terms of reciprocity, if we do something like that to foreign tourists, they’ll replicate it on Maltese citizens. These kind of things are discussed at EU level first, and if there’s an agreement on something then it must be EU-wide.”

This afternoon, Health Minister Chris Fearne confirmed that Malta is set to start vaccinating people with a vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech in January, so long as the European Medicines Authority approves it. 

Moderna’s vaccines are scheduled to start arriving in Malta at the start of February, and AstraZeneca’s in February or March. In total, Malta has ordered 1.6 million vaccine doses from these three pharmaceutical companies.

Questioned by MPs about whether Malta will introduce a ‘digital health passport’ to ensure travellers are vaccinated against COVID-19, Fearne said this is under discussion at EU level and that the country is logistically geared up in case this is the direction.

Lovin Malta will publish its full interview with Clyde Caruana this week. 

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