Standing events out in the open without the need for a vaccine certificate can be held on the 10th of April, rather than the initial 11 April, upon consultations with several localities and the curia, including Archbishop Charles Scicluna, so that Palm Sunday celebrations could be held, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne.
“Upon discussions with the Superintendent of Public Health, we have decreed that it is possible to move the anticipated date for standing events to be held normally a day before,” Fearne said, addressing a press conference on Tuesday.
Standing events will be allowed to be held out in the open without the need for a valid vaccine certificate, whilst a vaccine certificate is needed for closed spaces, effective from 10 April.
Fearne also said that in light of the current events happening in Ukraine, Ukrainians who are seeking refuge in Malta will be exempt from Covid-19 travel restrictions, however, will still need to quarantine upon arrival. He said that there will not be the need for them to quarantine in Malta’s quarantine hotels.
Asked by the media about the wearing of masks during Matsec examinations, Fearne said that during the Easter holidays there will be an assessment to determine whether to keep obligatory mask wearing in schools.
Asked about the failure to follow Covid-19 safety protocols in the current political rallies, Fearne said that there is ‘a particular party,’ who is abiding by all the protocols, while another party is failing to take on the responsibility for safety, commenting that there have been activities where people were all standing.
This newsroom asked Fearne about the golden passport scheme which European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has been insisting on suspending or banning Russian nationals from buying citizenship. Fearne said that this issue has already been addressed by Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship Alex Muscat and has nothing further to say.
Asked about the Maltese government’s position on Ukraine’s application to become part of the European Union in an expedited procedure, Fearne replied that the country has shown solidarity and is certain that the EU will have lengthy discussions regarding the matter.