Updated July 16 with health authority's confirmation 

A Maltese man who was stranded in Sardinia after being stopped from boarding a plane despite presenting a COVID test has been told by the superintendence of public health that he can return to Malta.

Oliver Gatt flew to Cagliari with his partner Michelle Laferla on July 7, days before Health Minister Chris Fearne announced changes to travel restrictions following a spike in new COVID-19 cases.

Laferla had a vaccine certificate but Gatt did not.

However, according to the new rules, unvaccinated Maltese residents who expected to return to Malta before the rules came into force, could still enter, if they showed proof of a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before arrival.

But when the pair turned up at the airline’s counter with a negative test result that cost Gatt €100, he was not allowed to fly home, and was instead asked for written confirmation from the local authorities. 

The couple had no other choice than to email the health authorities asking for clarification on the matter.

“In the meantime, we’re in limbo – no reply from the health authorities as we wait at our accommodation, knowing we will have to fork out more money for a new flight and not knowing how many more nights we will be staying here,” Gatt told Times of Malta on Thursday morning.

By the evening, however, he was finally informed by the  Superintendent of Public Health that he could return to Malta, provided he was a resident of Malta and submitted a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival. He will not need to quarantine.

The health authorities confirmed with Times of Malta that Gatt should have never been denied boarding the plane.

The new requirements have sparked confusion and frustration from several travellers who were either abroad when the rules were announced or were planning on visiting in the coming days. 

Excerpt from the legal notice

Earlier in the day, the, the authorities had clarified that Maltese residents entering the country without a vaccine certificate must apply for permission to avoid paying €1,400 to quarantine in a hotel.

The Superintendent of Public Health will decide each case "on an individual basis", the government said in a statement.

It confirmed that people arriving from the 71 countries on Malta's 'red list' can enter without a vaccine certificate but they must provide a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before their arrival.