Introducing new restrictive COVID-19 measures last week was one of the hardest moments of the pandemic to date, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Sunday.
Speaking during a political interview on the Labour Party’s ONE media arm, Abela said ordering the closure of thousands of businesses had been a painful but necessary decision which he had not taken lightly.
Last week the government ordered a one-month closure of all non-essential businesses, services and schools.
People were also barred from meeting in groups larger than four and all organised sports activities have been cancelled.
The move came as Malta registered a record of more than 500 daily COVID-19 cases.
This was the second time since the initial outbreak of the pandemic that the government has ordered a soft lock down in a bid to stub out spiraling positive cases.
Abela said that while introducing new measures had been a tough decision, he had done so following discussions with health authorities.
He had also done so knowing that the government would be rolling out support in the form of wage supplements and other injections.
“We will continue to help those ordered to close or had their business limited through restrictive measures,” he said.
Abela said that at a time of great economic difficulty, the government had not chosen to go down the path of austerity. Instead it had sought to do the opposite and continue helping families through different schemes.
Abela also recalled how during the earlier stages of the pandemic, the government had faced obstacles in getting its hands on the necessary medical equipment and protective gear for medical staff.
Describing it as a time of modern piracy, Abela looked back at how health officials would order protective gear and other equipment from overseas suppliers, only for these to end up in other countries.
Times of Malta had reported how a consignment of masks destined for Malta, was pilfered before arriving on the island.
Abela said the government had learnt form this experience and he was not ashamed to say Malta was being aggressive in negotiating consignments of COVID-19 vaccines.
“This does not mean we are acting underhand, but we are doing what is necessary to ensure we are on the front foot to vaccinate the public,” he said.
Sunday’s televised interview replaced the customary weekend political gathering normally held in a PL club or village square.
Abela was joined virtually by seven guests who gave input and commentary on the impact the pandemic was having on a variety of sectors.
Consultant respiratory physician Stephen Montfort weighed in on the new variant of the Coronavirus, saying studies indicated it was more contagious and possibly more severe.
This, he said, could result in more hospitalisation and increased pressures on the healthcare system.
Medical Doctor Marius Caruana said that Malta now had 40 operational vaccination centres, dishing out around 4,000 jabs every day.
He urged the public to reach out to only use reputable sources for information on COVID-19. The public should turn to medical professionals and health authorities with any questions they may have. Caruana also urged all the public to get vaccinated.
Other speakers included economic analyst Jessica Camilleri who said technological advances were playing a major part in shifting business models during the pandemic.