The main focus of the new regulations is that customers should be sitting at a table and not standing, so that social distance is applicable, and the definition of food should be interpreted as snacks and platters, the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) said this morning.

On Wednesday morning, the MTA published a statement in an attempt to clarify issues about the legal notice which was published the night before. The legal notice states that bars will be able to open on Wednesday as long as they seat customers at tables and serve food with their drinks.

The legal notice led to confusion and misinterpretation, as it differs from what Health Minister Chris Fearne announced on Monday. MAM issued a statement to denounce the legal notice and said it is considering industrial directives.

In the statement on Wednesday, MTA said said that such establishments may serve drinks and food, but only to seated customers. “The main focus remains on the concept of a customer sitting at a table and that they are not standing, with the applicable relative social distance.”

On the matter of what food would be served, MTA went on to say that, “the definition of food served by a bar or club, which is secondary to the main principle mentioned above, should be interpreted as snacks and platters, with a spirit of reasonableness and common sense.”

MTA went on to say that the distortion of regulations is unacceptable. The authority said it continues to emphasize responsibility and discipline.