WATCH: Restaurants Must Close At 11pm, Special Inspections During Carnival Weekend In Malta And Gozo
Mass events during Carnival will not be happening in Malta and Gozo, and restaurants will be closing at 11pm, and not be allowed to open before 6am, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced in a press conference moments ago.
Bars and każini will remain closed until the end of February, while snack bars will remain under strict restrictions where they will be unable to sell alcohol.
In light of Carnival weekend, all passengers boarding the Gozo Ferry between the 11th and 17th February will have their temperatures taken, and are being asked to remain inside their cars while on the ferry.
During Carnival weekend, police will be undergoing special rounds in certain towns, like Rabat, Nadur and Marsalforn, to ensure there are no mass gatherings. There will also be special inspections within accommodations around the two islands, to ensure there are not more people staying there than there are beds.
Abela said “better times were around the corner” especially with the vaccine on the island now, and called for continued responsibility from families alongside “more sacrifices” from business-owners to help battle the spread of the virus.
Just yesterday, Abela confirmed that bars and każini won’t reopen on 1st February as initially intended.
The legal directive will be extended in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19, but no indication has been given as to when these establishments will be allowed to reopen.
Bars were forced to close their doors at the beginning of November following a rise COVID-19 cases, in a legal notice that was set to expire on Thursday 1st December. The legal directive was extended to February after cases continued to rise.