Opposition leader Adrian Delia has called for Malta to go into a public health state of emergency if Prime Minister Robert Abela does not acknowledge the severity of the COVID-19 situation, so that Superintendent for Public Health Prof Charmaine Gauci can take decisions in his steed.
He was speaking during a press conference on Monday morning wherein the PM’s decision to go on a trip to Sicily was criticised while the current COVID-19 situation was discussed.
“Robert Abela cannot keep saying that waves are at sea just because he wants to enjoy his summer,” said Delia, referring to reports of the PM being on holiday in Sicily which has been scrutinised by officials and the public alike.
Notably, during a press conference also on Monday morning, Health Minister Chris Fearne refused to answer any questions about the PM’s trip to Sicily and whether he believes that it is irresponsible for Abela to go on vacation during such a critical time.
“Abela must accept that these measures are being implemented to ensure the safety and health of the public, and if he cannot understand this, we have to declare a public health of emergency. This will give Prof Gauci the right to make decisions as under her guidance, and Chris Fearne’s, we were able to progress and get out of the first wave,” Delia explained.
He insisted that since the PM chose to leave during these challenging times, he is not fit to carry such responsibility.
“He must also welcome my request for a parliamentary session which he has left unanswered so that the opposition can give its contribution,” he said, insisting that everyone must come together to overcome this challenge and protect the vulnerable and healthcare workers/professionals.
“This is not just a political obligation but a moral one too.”
Spokesperson for Health Stephen Spiteri said that the opposition is trying to show solidarity with those who are working within this sector and keep health as the main focus.
“We must acknowledge the escalating numbers in new cases, varying from local to imported cases to sporadic cases which cannot be traced. The r-factor is growing and causing a lot of challenges in within the medical sector,” he explained.
Spiteri believes that Maltese authorities have lost the containment of the infections seeing that the waiting lists for swab tests have increased drastically, giving more chance for positive cases to go unnoticed.
“It seems that people are taking things for granted, including those who are supposed to be leading it out of this pandemic,” he said possibly referring to PM as well.
Spokesperson for Active Ageing and Persons with Different Abilities Maria Deguara explained that for the elderly this increase in new cases means that all the problems both physical and mental were all in vain.
“This came about because this government favoured economy over health. We believe that a strong economy entails the need for a strong physical and mental state of being, so it is important to focus on health to upkeep our standard of living.”
She said that if these cases keep increasing it would mean that the vulnerable will have to go through the same traumatic experiences they did before.
“These figures are proof of who was right about the situation. The government showed great disrespect towards the work of healthcare professionals even though they deserve much respect for their work.”
Asked for his opinion on examinations being held in September, Delia said that the government is not sharing enough information on the subject with the opposition on this.
He added that there have been many students who have shared their concerns about the fact that exams will take place as per usual with some suffering mental issues. “If there are online methods that can be used, they should be implemented, and the government has to start keeping us informed on its work.”