The Nationalist Party has set up an action team that will be tasked with creating a COVID-19 action plan, PN and Opposition leader Bernard Grech said while questioning the Prime Minister Robert Abela’s absence during the spike in COVID-19 cases.

“Today we had another record of COVID-19 cases which means that we have almost 1,100 active cases. My question is; Where is Robert Abela? Where is he to call for action, to put our minds to rest and show that he knows what he is doing?” Grech said in a video message on his Facebook page on Friday.

He referred to the infamous statement Abela had made towards the end of the first wave of the virus in Malta and Gozo, “the waves are at sea”, saying that today people can see how the waves are overwhelming the PM which is why he has gone into hiding.

Grech followed this with a series of questions relating to all those affected by the pandemic; “Where is Abela to assure teachers and parents that he has a plan for schools to remain open? Where is he to assure businesses that they will have a successful Christmas period? Where is Abela to instruct Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly Silvio Parnis to shoulder the political responsibility for what happened in elderly homes?”

The PN leader said that he believes that life means nothing to Abela and neither does the peace of mind of the population.

“It is for this reason, that during a time where everyone is left in the dark with no strategy whatsoever, I am appointing an action team that will be working with constituted bodies and other associations to make a plan that will give people hope.”

This team will be headed by Grech himself together with PN MPs Claudio Grech, Claudette Buttigieg, Clyde Puli, Stephen Spiteri as well as Maria Deguara.

On a concluding note, Grech said that the parliamentary discussion on COVID-19 in parliament next Tuesday, on request from the Opposition, is important. However, in the absence of a competent government and Labour politicians, the PN will once again be here to offer a ray of hope.

Today, Malta registered its record number of new COVID-19 cases in a day once again, 122, bringing the total number of active cases up to almost 1,100.

The Opposition and civil society have been asking for more restrictions and enforcement in order to curb the spread of the virus.

More enforcement and measures are expected to be announced over the weekend in order to contain the pandemic.