WATCH: Minister Clyde Caruana Changes Tune On Vaccine Certificates Due To Omicron Surge
Just over a year after voicing skepticism on the possibility of vaccine entry rules, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana has insisted the situation has changed as a result of the Omicron variant.
Lovin Malta asked Caruana whether he stands by what he had said about vaccine certificates in an interview back in December 2020, when he warned “governments shouldn’t push it to the extreme that they control everything and everyone”.
However, the Minister said the situation has changed since then due to the emergence of the Omicron variant, which saw the country record up to 1,400 daily cases.
“I guess you need to see the answer in the context of how things have changed since [December 2020],” he said.
@lovinmaltaofficial What do you make of Minister Caruana's new stance? #fyp #fypmalta #malta #lovinmalta #minister #finance #clydecaruana #certificates ♬ original sound – Lovin Malta
Asked whether he personally agrees with the rule, Caruana said it is only temporary, noting that a restriction-easing strategy is set to be announced in the coming weeks.
Since last week, people who aren’t adequately vaccinated are no longer allowed to enter bars, każini, clubs, restaurants, snack bars, cinemas, theatres, casinos, gaming parlours, bingo halls, sport events, gyms, fitness centres, public swimming pools, spas and saunas, organised events or exhibitions.
Certificates are only valid for adults who received the first vaccine cycle within the past three months or their booster within the past nine months. Under-18s, who aren’t eligible for the booster, will be able to enter the above establishments after having received their first vaccine cycle.
The rules have proven to be extremely controversial, with the Nationalist Party striking out against them, hundreds of people taking to the streets in protest, and a court case filed.
Last Sunday, Prime Minister Robert Abela said the time has come to start discussing whether COVID-19 should be treated like the flu, the common cold or other seasonal viruses.
Do you thin the vaccine entry rules should be scrapped?
READ NEXT: Boycott Time: PN Takes Drastic Action After Rosianne Cutajar Named Health Committee President
