Proper monitoring measures are to be taken at Identity Malta as from this week, including employing nurses to screen and check clients' temperature before entering the building and security officers for crowd control, Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Communities Alex Muscat said today.
“This week we will be introducing these measures to ensure the safety of the employees and the clients,” Muscat said.
He was speaking to journalists at Identity Malta offices, after having a meeting with General Workers Union officials and Identity Malta officials to discuss the way forward.
This morning, Identity Malta offices remained closed with no official reason, with people quieing up telling the media that they had been told the offices would have opened as normal - but they did not.
This resulted in a growing queue of people outside the offices in Valley Road, Msida, as foreigners trying to seek assistance from the agency found the doors shut. Some of them had been waiting to bne served from as early as 5am. That a few of the foreigners were wearuing protective masks added to the uneasy moments, as employees began fearing for their safety.
“There was clearly a misunderstanding, and as the queues grew bigger, employees were concerned due to the spread of the Coronavirus,” Muscat said. He explained that because of these concerns, employees decided to not open the doors of the offices. Muscat said that he spoke to employees and unions, and that Identity Malta will take up more measures to ensure the safety of the employees and clients.
“There will be nurses coming to screen and take the temperature of those people coming into the building and there will be Perspex to ensure that there is limited physical contact between workers and clients.”
He said that there will also be proper crowd control with queues. Such measures will begin this week.
Muscat said that while Identity Malta will remain open those clients in need of Customer Care services can use online or telephone services. “Those individuals who can use the online services, or call customer care and track application online, should do so, as this will help reduce the large crowds outside Identity Malta, regardless of the Coronavirus or not.” Therefore Expat services will continue and applications for new permits will continue.
Kendrick Bondin, General Workers Union official said that it is extremely important to take care of the wellbeing of workers and those clients. “We have clients coming in at batches now, to ensure that there is proper crowd control and we insisted for better security measures, as our workers need to be protected,” explained Bondin. He was informed that security will be increased and that nurses will be coming in tomorrow to start screening individuals. “We believe it is a good measure and a start to control the situation.”
Photos/Video Alenka Falzon