People aged 35 and over can start applying to receive the booster vaccine - the third dose - as from Monday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne said in a press conference today.

At present, the government is calling on people aged 50 and over to apply. Many of them have done so, but not all have received an appointment.

As from last Tuesday, the government is offering vaccinations to children aged under 12. In the coming days, parents will be receiving appointments for the vaccination for children who are not deemed as vulnerable.

Meanwhile, those who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, for which only one dose was needed, will be contacted for their second dose as a booster vaccine in the coming days, provided that at least two months would have passed since the first dose. This follows the announcement made by the European Medicines Agency just yesterday that Johnson & Johnson was the third vaccine after Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna approved as a booster for adults.

The booster vaccine remains the best solution to fight the Omicron variant, said Fearne, encouraging people to register for the booster on the official government online portal. Fearne added that the Omicron variant is said to become the dominant variant throughout Europe in the coming weeks, with infection rates significantly surpassing the other variants.

At present, Omicron has not yet been found in Malta, though it is to be expected, said the minister. “Surveying the situation in other countries helps analyse what must be done in Malta in order to reduce infection rates in the country,” he said. He added that the fact remains that countries with high infection rates are those with low vaccination numbers, as well as those who made the decision to remove safety measures and restrictions early on, commenting that they were made too quickly. Fearne named Denmark as an example, which is currently one of the worst countries being hit by the virus.

Just a few days ago, Fearne described the pending arrival of Omicron paired with a predicted Influenza wave as bringing about a “perfect storm” in the country. At the same time, the health minister described the recent measure of the wearing of face masks in all public spaces as, “the least disruptive of all public health measures.” The Malta Independent asked the minister whether he thought these statements were relatively contradictory, as if trying to challenge a hurricane with an umbrella.

“We calibrate the safety measures in real time, meaning we look mainly at what is happening in our hospitals,” Fearne told this newsroom. He added that face masks provide additional protection against the virus, especially when taking into consideration that there is an awaited influenza wave, as well as the upcoming festive season where people will be gathering, and the spread will undoubtedly increase.

Despite the rise in cases nationally, the cases in hospital remain low, with only 16 infected individuals admitted in Mater Dei hospital, three of whom are receiving care in the ITU, said Fearne.

Due to the current circumstances and rising cases, this newsroom asked the minister if he thinks there should be a need for the Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci to assume her role in once again guiding the public on how to act in a state of a pandemic. Gauci, who was not seen present in the recent Covid-19 updates made by Fearne, subsequently moved on screen, with Fearne adding that she has been present throughout the recent announcements.

Travel restrictions will not, at present, be announced in Malta despite other EU countries doing so, said Fearne, commenting that this is due to the decision taken last summer which allows only vaccinated people to travel to Malta. He noted that the decision received criticism at the time, however other countries are now doing the same.

Addressing recent events on Christmas processions, Fearne said that these will be allowed to continue with the same protocols as any other event, where attending individuals are to be vaccinated and wear face masks. He added that barricades do not need to be put in place for these events.

Fearne said that the wage supplement which will be distributed until the end of January was the key to saving several businesses during this pandemic, consequently saving the island’s economy.