The Medical Association of Malta expressed its preoccupation and its serious concern by a high stakes and high risk decision taken by the prime minister on Sunday, saying the Prime Minister is putting economic interests before health.
On Sunday, PM Abela said that restaurants and services shops such as hairdressers would be allowed to reopen in the next few days,
A high number of Coronavirus cases this week for four consecutive days has occurred exactly two weeks after the first easing measures by the government. Unfortunately, these measures have given the impression that wearing a surgical mask protects you from Covid-19, and as a result many people are failing to comply with social distancing rules, and many vulnerable groups such as the elderly could be seen outside shops this week.
As a result the global world meter scale for Covid cases Malta has moved up to the top 20 nations, having twice the number of daily cases per population when compared to Italy, Spain and Germany. The country may have lost eight weeks, because we now have the numbers we had two months ago. This is most unfortunate as to date Malta has had the lowest death rate in the European Union.
Furthermore just one infected patient in a single ward led to at least 10 Covid cases amongst health care workers, three wards to be closed temporarily for disinfection, and tens of health care workers put on quarantine, MAM said.
While one commends and supports the high number of swabs performed, they are showing that there are estimates of 5 cases per 1000 population of asymptomatic carriers. Furthermore every day around a 100 cases who are referred by testing by medical doctors do not turn up for swabbing at great risk to the Maltese community.
The rising numbers should have advised more caution rather than a very hazardous move of reopening restaurants and bars, a move which has led to major problems in Japan, Singapore and South Korea, who had to regret this decision and reverse it soon after.
While one sympathizes with workers in the tourism and leisure industry the industry’s lobby for an early easing of measures may be leading Malta to be amongst the top ten countries with the daily number Covid, further harming the industry rendering impossible any notion of “safe corridor”.
MAM is disappointed that the government is putting economic interests before health, and appeals to the Maltese public to remain very alert and cautious and as much as possible keep social distancing and avoid any form of crowding in public places. Staying at home remains the safest option.