The Medical Association of Malta said Friday it considers it illogical and absurd to hold mass events during an epidemic, it said, adding that industrial action directives are to continue for a second day.
An eight-hour meeting of the MCESD failed to lead to an agreement between the Medical Association of Malta and the government delegation led by Prime Minister Robert Abela and Minister Christopher Fearne. Directives at Mater Dei will continue for a second consecutive day. MAM urges the government to implement emergency setup at Mater Dei Hospital, the union said in a statement.
The government, according to MAM, acknowledged that mass events were problematic and agreed to issue stiffer regulations, more strict enforcement with the introduction of fines. Masks indoors would be made obligatory and police would be enforcing wearing of masks indoors. Government officials including civil servants would start wearing masks in public media events.
Half way through the meeting, news reached the Auberge De Castille that numbers of Covid 19 had increased by 150% in one day reaching a new record level of local cases. Furthermore US centre of disease control, which is the most reputable institution in the world on infectious disease, advised American citizens not to travel to Malta because of the high risk of Covid, raising the prospect that Malta would be blacklisted by more EU countries.
Dr Martin Balzan on behalf of MAM, who was in phone contact with other MAM officials, was adamant that it was the duty of government to control the epidemic and ban all mass events until the Covid numbers did not exceed three cases per day, particularly when the cause was daily parties and events held all over the island.
The government proposal to allow mass/public events of up to 300 people was deemed absurd and dangerous by MAM. Another proposal to limit the number to 60 indoors and 100 outdoors was also not accepted by the union, MAM said.
MAM said it did not change its original position as the health and safety of its members, and the protection of the health of the Maltese people was more important that short term profits from events which are a very small percentage of the Maltese economy.
MAM acknowledged the prime minister’s efforts to strengthen and empower enforcement, but it condemned the use weddings as a pretext to allow commercial mass events during an epidemic.