No bars or restaurants have been found in breach of a rule ordering them to stay closed until further notice, the Tourism Ministry has said.

A series of inspections were carried out on Wednesday night to check if outlets are sticking to the rules as part of coronavirus containment measures.

In a legal notice on Tuesday evening, the Superintendent of Public Health ordered the closure of all bars, restaurants, cafeterias and other places of entertainment.
 
Inspections were carried out in Sliema, St Julian’s, Gżira, Msida, St Paul’s Bay, Buġibba, Marsascala, Fgura, Valletta, and Floriana by officers from Malta Tourism Authority's compliance and regulatory directorate.

The authority will issue €3,000 fines for every occasion that the order is breached.
 
MTA chief executive officer Johann Buttigieg said that just as the it was committed over the past few years to bring over a record number of visitors, it was now committed to ensure no breaches of public health regulations occur.

“By ensuring compliance, we will be doing our part to safeguard the wellbeing of the public and to a speedy return to normal operations for our industry.”
 
Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli said the ministry and the authority were committed to ensure the safety of the public so that once the crisis was over, Malta would bounce back with higher levels of tourism.
 
The government repeated its appeal to owners and management of catering establishments to cooperate and respect the respective order of closure. 

It also urged the public not to group outside establishments providing take-away or delivery services and encouraged them not to consume food near each other. 
 
The authorities are encouraging anyone who reports breaches to call the helpline: 2169 2447.