MUMN has appealed to the Prime Minister not to consider any form of tourism this summer as the country deals with the Coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, the nurses and midwives’ union said it has been approached by its members with “shock and anger” on hearing on the media that Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli is even considering some form of tourism from the so-called 9 “safe” countries.

This is purely a political measure from an economic perspective which can have huge repercussions on the lives of all those living on the Maltese islands, the MUMN said.

MUMN strongly appealed to the Prime Minister that considering any form of tourism at this early stage of the pandemic is a blunder, which can cost the lives of several of our loved ones, can break the whole Health system and would still not boost the economy of our country.

MUMN would like to point out to the Prime Minister that a few thousands of tourists who can arrive to Malta this summer would not resolve the ailing economy but will just act as a catalyst for the second wave of Coronavirus epidemic to occur on our islands.

To achieve to remarkable results in Malta of such a low death rate in such appalling pandemic, the Maltese people paid a very dear price. For two whole months the very old and the vulnerable stayed locked in their houses, some losing thousands of euros due to reduced salaries, deprived from their families and their loved ones.

Such huge sacrifices can easily be lost by allowing tourists arriving on our shores at a time when the pandemic is still far from over. With all the measures Public Health can try to devise to prevent an outbreak in Malta if tourism is to be considered in Malta, (such as the swabbing of every tourists arriving in Malta) would not be enough to guarantee the safety of the Maltese population, the MUMN said.

This led to Malta being acknowledged as being one of the best success stories in the world in managing the pandemic today. Whilst this is being used as part of the marketing strategies to attract tourists back to Malta, the same tourist would change or success story to a tragic one.

There are still several measures due to the Coronavirus within the Maltese society which still need to be tested before embarking on any form of tourism. The biggest challenge would be the entertainment industry, such as bars, discos, museums, pubs, and weddings etc. where social distancing would be impossible to maintain.

Malta is one of the few countries where contact tracing, accompanied with the discipline and obedience of the Maltese people, has managed to contain the pandemic which other countries despite harsher lockdowns did not manage to achieve.

The nation should not take such a success for granted or with a false sense of security that the worst is over in this pandemic.

Political responsibility must be carried when hundreds (if not thousands) of lives are lost due to political blunders, the MUMN said. Opening the airport to any form of tourism is a political risk which will not resolve the issues in our economy. Are you ready to take such a risk since in any pandemic situation, a simple bad misjudgement can lead to hundreds of lives being lost? Are you ready to take such risks? The MUMN said