Photo taken on March 5, 2021 shows closed dining area of a restaurant in Valletta, Malta. Malta has ordered the closure of the country's restaurants along with clubs, bars and places of entertainment until April 11 in a raft of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Thursday. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)
VALLETTA, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Malta has ordered the closure of the country's restaurants along with clubs, bars and places of entertainment until April 11 in a raft of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, Prime Minister Robert Abela said here on Thursday.
Abela and his government are facing increased pressure to take decisive action to curb the spread of the virus following a new record of 362 daily cases registered between Wednesday and Thursday. Four more deaths were also announced -- two men and two women. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in the country has now reached 325, while the number of active cases has shot up to 3,128.
Abela told journalists that the country's bars and clubs will remain closed, enforcement will be stepped up and the fine for those breaking the rules will be doubled to 6,000 euros (7,200 U.S. dollars). Restaurants that form part of hotels and guest houses can only cater for their own clients.
Under the new regulations, mass gatherings will be banned except for weddings and religious activities, where the attendees will have to follow the restrictions already in place. Private family gatherings will be limited to people from a maximum of four households. Those breaching the rules will face a 100-euro fine.
The government has also banned all contact sports for those younger than 16, citing scientific evidence that the new virus variant first identified in the United Kingdom is highly transmissible, especially in children. Non-contact sports can continue, and sports halls will remain open.
Abela said that as from Monday, public service employees will be working from home and urged companies in the private sector to allow their employees to telework too because the virus was seen to be spreading more at workplaces.
"The health authorities believe that the vaccine is giving the desired results," he said. "The incidence of positive cases among vaccinated persons went down drastically. However, the variant and other factors have led to an increase in new cases so there is need for restrictive measures for a few weeks while the vaccination program gathers pace."
According to the latest figures provided by the health authorities, 86,854 people have already been vaccinated.
Abela said that through the wage supplement and the quarantine leave, the government has already helped the country's businesses with more than 360 million euros. The supplement is now being extended until June.
Health Minister Chris Fearne told the same press conference that the new numbers were "serious and worrying." He said that while Malta's hospitals were still coping, the increased number of patients was putting an added strain on healthcare workers. For this reason, the government is also temporarily banning hospital visits. (1 euro = 1.20 U.S. dollars) Enditem
