Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has called on Prime Minister Robert Abela to shoulder responsibility for “his irresponsible declarations and bad decisions which led the country back to square one.”

He once again called for an immediate national public health emergency to be declared following the new restrictive measures that were announced by the government and health authorities.

“This should be done as soon as possible so that we do not have to take more drastic measures, however, the government chooses not to call a national health emergency because it does not want the health authorities to be given additional powers to take the necessary decisions as soon as possible,” he said.

In a press conference shortly after the new measures were announced, Grech said that “the government has driven our country into an unprecedented crisis and the panic with which the Prime Minister acted today clearly shows the worrying situation they are in.”

Grech added that, “instead of seeking national unity, instead of acknowledging the Nationalist Party’s request for the country’s highest institution to deal with this situation as a matter of urgency, PM Abela chose to be hard-headed and arrogant.”

“Once again, we have confirmation that the government lost control of the Covid-19 pandemic and the worst part of it all is that he dragged us all with it,” he said.

Grech strongly appealed for the Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci and the health authorities to take the lead.  

“This situation has been brought about because PM Abela chose to take matters in his own hands rather than leave it in the hands of the health authorities as well as other medical experts. He intervened and decided on his own.”

“Because of your Prime Minister and his irresponsible actions, you will have to pay the price and make further sacrifices,” Grech said.