Prime Minister Robert Abela skirted around a question on his attendance at the Sigma event last week, where hardly any Covid-19 protocols were in place.
During the conference, held at the MFCC, no temperature checks were taken, and most of the attendees were not wearing masks. This newsroom was left without answers when it tried to establish which authority was responsible for ensuring that Covid rules were followed at the event.
Abela, accompanied by Economy Minister Silvio Schembri, visited the event early in the week. Photos and footage of their visit showed that they wer not wearing a mask, and they were surrounded by several people, most of whom were also not wearing masks either.
At the inauguration of a therapeutic centre for adolescents at Tal-Ibwar, The Malta Independent asked Abela whether he had set a bad example by attending the Sigma conference despite the clear lack of Covid protocols.
“As you can see, during today’s event I have been wearing a mask as well as keeping social distance as in accordance to the current regulations,” replied Abela, avoiding a direct reply.
On the current rise in cases, Abela focused solely on the fact that the numbers of infected individuals in hospital remained low, ignoring the current rise of infected cases out of hospital.
He continued to say that there is no need for additional Covid-19 measures, but reiterated the importance of taking the booster vaccine.