The Medical Association of Malta (MAM) criticised the Ministry of Tourism for its amateurish behaviour and lack of foresight. This follows after Malta registered 55 new cases yesterday on Thursday. The statement was released this morning, stating how 10 days ago, 5000 students had been evacuated from Mallorca by ship after student parties led to more than 500 cases a day on this island. According to the MAM, this followed the ‘dubious privilege’ of being on the UK’s green list.
MAM described Malta’s placing on the UK green list as being set for rapid and devastating repetition of what happened on the Spanish island and even Lisbon, Portugal. The UK, the union continued, was exporting the Delta variant and actively promoting mass events with an average of more than 20,000 cases daily. It highlighted how herd immunity of 70% mitigates the pandemic only if there is no continuous virus importation.
The MAM urged restrictions on mass events as necessary to stop the new wave and to promote safe tourism into Malta. With 50 cases a day, Malta would end up back onto the EU’s red list in a matter of days. Should COVID spread from tourists to the unvaccinated 80,000 plus in Malta, the health care system would be put back under immense pressure. This, apart from being unfair to healthcare workers, would also lead to more deaths, infections and transmission of variants said the MAM.
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Photo Source: Wikipedia