Even before the government yesterday announced new measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, several partygoers had already started to attempt to sell their tickets for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve parties.
These attempts multiplied after it became known that parties will only be allowed if there are seating arrangements in place. Those where revellers were to remain standing are prohibited, given the rise in the number of cases registered in the past few days.
Many were those who anticipated the government’s move, trying to get rid of their costly tickets before the new measures were announced. Others are probably in quarantine and, as such, prohibited from leaving their home, or terrified with the latest statistics.
With the number of daily Covid-19 cases sharply on the rise in the last few days, there had been calls for the government to impose added restrictions apart from the wearing of a mask in public places.
Both employer bodies and unions expressed concern that the present measures do not reflect the present circumstances, and called on the government to take action.
This action was taken yesterday, with the government announcing fresh measures.
The number of active cases has also risen sharply in the past week, and this has inevitably meant that the number of people forced into quarantine because they share a household with an infected person is also very much on the rise.
This situation spurred many individuals who bought tickets for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve events across Malta are now trying to sell them, at least trying to recoup the money they have already paid.
This is mostly because in many instances no refunds from the party organisers are possible.
When originally buying their ticket online, customers were made aware that they might not receive a refund if there is a cancellation. In light of such a claim, many young adults are now faced with either not showing up for the party and losing money or trying to sell their tickets last minute.