Gozo Channel is operating a shuttle service between Malta and Gozo due to long queues of cars waiting to board the ferry, now that travel restrictions to the sister island have been lifted. 

Travel to Gozo has been limited to the bare minimum since March 10 with restrictions being lifted on Monday.

As the weekend approached, many drove up to Ċirkewwa on Friday and queued for the ferry.

Restrictions lifted on Monday also include the reopening of restaurants and snack bars, albeit until 5pm and the resumption of contact and non-contact sports.

Cars waiting to board the ferry on Friday. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

“Because of the reopening, we are expecting a large number of people so we decided to operate a shuttle service,” Gozo Channel chairman Joe Cordina told Times of Malta.

He said such a service is operated whenever demand is high with Gozo Channel's four ferries loading and unloading cars and passengers and leaving straight away.

Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Gozo Tourism Association CEO Joe Muscat said the weekend looked promising with both catering and accommodation establishments receiving demands for the weekend. 

“In the past few days, catering establishments have reported promising business at lunchtime and expectations for the weekend are good," he said.

The association has been calling for the re-opening of the island for domestic visitors since last month.

“The demand is there. People want to travel and take a break, so seeing such movement is very positive,” he said.

Muscat described the situation as "a gradual beginning" for the island and hoped that more domestic tourists will travel to Gozo.

On Friday, Malta recorded just one new case of COVID-19 out of the 2,017 tests carried out. The last time such a low daily figure was reported was on July 27.