Prime Minister Robert Abela is endangering public health through his hard-headedness, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said.

He was referring to the redeployment of Covid-19 team member Kenneth Grech, reportedly after he advised against the reopening of schools amid a new spike of infections.

The Medical Association of Malta has registered an industrial dispute over the dismissal.

In a statement, Grech said that despite the “unanimous criticism”, Abela is refusing to admit his mistake. “Grech’s advice certainly reflected the position of the entire team and, as such, the PM’s decision is a most irresponsible one,” the PN Leader said.

Grech said that, in the midst of a pandemic, the Prime Minister is not worried about losing such an important resource as long as no one contradicts his ‘business as usual’ narrative.

The PM is willing to face industrial action during such sensitive times because he is hard-headed and refuses to allow professionals to give their advice. He is willing to ignore the advice given by a team of experts, thus endangering the lives of students, teachers, school staff and parents, he said.

“He is telling parents, teachers, nurses and medical consultants not to interfere because he knows best.”

Grech said the PM should immediately overturn his decision and put Kenneth Grech back on the Covid Response Team. He appealed to the PM to let experts decide on mattes of public health.