Event organisers caught breaching social distancing rules introduced to stop the spread of COVID-19 will be fined €3,000 for every breach. 

The fine was made official through a legal notice published on Wednesday afternoon and follows a spate of cases linked to large gatherings. 

Under rules that came into place on Friday, every event has to be limited by the size of the venue, with no more than one person for every four square metres allowed. Groups larger than 10 are also not allowed and the distance between the groups must be more than two metres. 

The government was forced to reintroduced restrictions after a series of coronavirus cases linked to mass events including a party, a religious feast and a nightclub.  

The legal notice states: “Any event organiser who fails to abide by the provisions of these regulations shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to the payment of a penalty of three thousand euro (€3,000) for each and every instance in which these regulations are breached.” 

Times of Malta is informed that the authorities plan to pursue legal action against any organisers who are caught breaching the rules on multiple occasions.

During the height of the pandemic, similar fines were issued to those caught gathering in large groups. The police would carry out checks on the streets in order to ensure people were abiding by the rules. 

The enforcement of the latest rules will be carried out by the Malta Tourism Authority together with public health officials. 

Doctors, however, have accused the government of carrying out “fake enforcement” saying mass events should be completely banned since it is impossible to control large crowds. They plan on embarking on industrial action on Thursday, with a series of measures that will impact the entire health system. 

The government has yet to comment on the doctor’s threat, despite it being only hours away. 

The legal notice can be accessed here.