The government’s reopening plan will be “very cautious” and will give priority to education, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on party media on Tuesday.

Speaking on ONE radio, Abela said that health authorities were in the process of finalising the reopening plan as the date when the current restrictive measures – which placed Malta in a semi-lockdown similar to that of a year ago – will expire approaches.

The current measures – which include the closure of schools, non-essential shops, gyms, restaurants, and bars and the banning of all sports – are valid up until 11 April.

Abela said that not everything will be reopened immediately, and the authorities will be able to reinstate restrictions if the number of new cases being found daily spikes again.

"It will not be an aggressive reopening but one where we’re very cautious and with education being given priority," Abela said.

Abela’s words come as teachers’ unions in particular differ over whether schools should be reopened or not.

The Malta Union of Teachers have said that the physical reopening of schools should not be the first measures to be relaxed, while the Union of Professional Educators told this newsroom that they are comfortable with schools being reopened, although they called for amendments to protocols on students’ daily breaks.