The Medical Association of Malta expressed its disappointment at the amateurism and lack of foresight of the Ministry for Tourism as the number of Covid-19 cases rise sharply again, with 55 reported on Thursday.

Just 10 days ago, MAM said in a statement, 5,000 students had to be evacuated by ship from the Spanish island of Mallorca, after student parties had led to more than 500 cases a day just on this island. This followed the the dubious privilege of being in the UK green list. The same happened in Portugal where Lisbon was forced into lockdown within a matter of a couple of weeks.

Malta being on the UK green list was nothing but a poisoned chalice set for a rapid and devastating repetition of what had happened in Mallorca and Lisbon, MAM said. The UK not only exported the highly transmissible variant but is actively promoting mass events with an average of more than 20,000 cases a day. Most EU countries have taken note but we have not.

Fans watching the EURO 2020 must have wondered why both Italian and German fans were banned from travelling to the UK, MAM said.

The same mistakes done last year are being repeated, by opening Malta to tourist brackets characterized by unruly behaviour with high transmission and low vaccination rates. Herd immunity of 70% stops an epidemic only if there is no continuous massive seeding of virus from abroad.

MAM had strongly advised the MHRA and the tourism authorities to promote safe tourism with an opening to tourism only to vaccinated individuals who would be required to swab as well, and prohibit those activities which attract unruly tourists unlikely to comply with preventive measures and social distancing.

Just with 50 cases a day and a daily doubling rate of cases Malta will soon be on EU red lists in a matter of days bringing the whole tourism down with a bang, MAM said.

This is most unfair to the healthcare workers who once again must make personal sacrifices to treat these patients, but also to those whose livelihood is dependent on the tourist industry. This also unfair with all those who have made great sacrifices to bring a return to normality.

Urgent measures restricting parties and mass events are necessary to stop this new wave as soon as possible and a quick change of strategy promoting only safe tourism to Malta.

MAM also strongly encourages all those who have not vaccinated to do so as soon as possible, because as soon as Covid spreads from tourists to the 80 thousand plus Maltese unvaccinated residents the health care system will be put under great pressure once again.