Former Prime Minister Sant emphasised that while it is fully understandable that there is a widespread ‘pandemic fatigue’, "it is not time yet to treat COVID-19 like another strain of flu.”
In his reaction to the European Commission statement during a plenary session of the European Parliament on the topic of Coordination of Member States’ measures in light of increasing cases of COVID-19 in the EU, the Labour MEP emphasised that new lockdowns can only be avoided if a number of measures are adhered to, mainly faster vaccination, compulsory use of masks indoors and the widest possible application of telework.
The Head of the Labour Party Delegation at the Socialist and Democratic Group (S&D) at the European Parliament Alfred Sant stated that since its inception 22 months ago COVID-19 is today again the number one cause of death in the EU. While acknowledging that restrictions are resurfacing in European countries due to a surge in cases he stated that “today, the call for further precautionary measures is fully justified.”
Alfred Sant pointed out that vaccines are still not enough to stop the introduction of additional precautions. In countries were the vaccination rate is very high including the Maltese Islands’ it is very likely that further tightening of the sanitary rules will need to come into effect in the coming weeks, he added. For this reason he suggested that to avoid new lockdowns there should be faster vaccination, compulsory use of masks indoors and the wides possible application of telework.
During a debate on COVID-19 in the EU, MEPS discussed the latest developments, the additional course of actions that need to be taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and about more effective coordination measures. Besides, the general thrust of the debate concentrated on how to build more solidarity among European Member States to combat this pandemic.
Alfred Sant stressed that the coordination of national measures at EU level is crucial to make certain that free movement within the EU keeps going smoothly and this can be attained by adjusting the validity of the EU digitial certificate to preserve its efficiency. He expressed agreement with the European Commission for harmonising the validity of the COVID-19 vaccination certificate to include booster shots. He insisted that such measures and other similar actions proved to be frutiful in past months but he claimed that their reinforcement will be of utmost importance in the near future. Sant acknowledged that while it is understandable that many people are fed up with the pandemic it not time yet to treat COVID-19 like it was any other flu.