In what will be determined as a blow for event organisers, standing events will continue to be barred throughout the month of August, although the capacity for seated events is set to increase from later this month.

Addressing a press conference, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced that from 16 August seated events will be allowed to increase their capacity from 200 people per cluster to 300 people per cluster – with restrictions on social distancing, mask-wearing, and the vaccination certificate still in place.

The capacity will increase to 500 people per cluster as from 30 August, Fearne announced.

However, standing events will not be allowed as of yet with Fearne telling The Malta Independent after a question on this subject that the matter will be discussed again towards the end of August depending on the Covid-19 situation then.

Fearne said that the case numbers being found within the community are not insignificant and that people are still receiving treatment in hospital and in ITU, and noted that standing events are far harder to control given the lack of social distancing.

“If a case is found from a 300-person seated event the day after it takes place, then you don’t need to have all 300 people quarantine because they were socially-distanced.  On the other hand, if a positive case is found in a standing event then anyone who attended would have to quarantine”, he said.

Fearne was addressing a press conference giving an update about the Covid-19 situation in Malta, where he said that the country currently has 1,206 active cases.

The absolute majority of cases last week were traced to the Delta Variant – with 95% of cases being found to be of this variant. The remaining 5% are down to the Gamma variant which originated in Brazil.