Malta has urged the UK not to make a rash decision on removing countries from the green list of quarantine-free travel as it insists it is still safe for travellers despite a small increase in Covid-19 cases, NI Travel news reports.
Malta has seen a rise in coronavirus cases, which now have reached nearly 1,000 with more than 300 still active.
NI Travel News reports that in a statement, the Malta Tourism Association (MTA) said: “Tourism is important for us, but the safety of our people and the people who visit us is more important and we would never put people in jeopardy.
“The small number of cases in Malta vis-a-vis the size of the population can easily give a skewed impression of the actual situation, more so if the numbers are seen out of context.
“We trust that all governments will analyse the figures intelligently and we are open to all discussions to ensure that we can mitigate any concern.”
“Malta in fact has one of the highest, if not the highest testing rates in Europe.
“As a result, we have quickly identified where these cases are linked to and those affected are in quarantine.
“Even before reopening our borders, we have worked hard to ensure the safety of our citizens and people who want to come to our shores.
“Our healthcare system and handling of the virus have received praise from numerous sources including the European Commission, the Commonwealth, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.”