Valletta local council has cancelled two events this weekend in view of a surge in COVID-19 cases, saying the health and safety of citizens comes “first and before everything”.

A 5km race planned with a route through the capital has had a change in venue, while President George Vella’s official visit has been cancelled.

Mayor Alfred Zammit said in a Facebook post that the cancellation of the official visit, scheduled for 7pm on Friday in St George’s Square, was a joint decision between the local council and the president.

Residents had been previously encouraged to welcome the president as part of a series of official visits.

It comes as popular parties and feasts are dropping like dominos in the wake of a spike in active cases linked to a recent mass party and a village band march.

Vella is hosting the traditional August Moon Ball in the Verdala Palace gardens on Saturday and his office has been asked by Times of Malta if the plan is to go ahead with the event.

Doctors and nurses have called for an end to mass gatherings including major international music festivals heading to the island.

Zammit also appealed to associations and organisations to be “responsible in this very sensitive period vis-à-vis COVID-19”. The Valletta 5k Race & Walk on Sunday morning, in conjunction with the Mellieha Athletic Club, would have been held round the bastions of capital and within the heart of the city.

The venue has now been changed and an alternative route identified at Ta’ Qali, with organisers saying precautionary measures for race day have been highlighted.

Meanwhile, the Valletta Cultural Agency is still going ahead with its Valletta Pageant of the Seas on August 16 in Grand Harbour, saying it is open to the public and that the necessary measures are being taken, recommending adherence to health authority instructions. 

The nautical pageant is being described as “a fun, unique event for the whole family to enjoy during these summer days”, by Arts and Local Government Minister José Herrera.

While the local council cancels its events, Valletta Cultural Agency chairman Jason Micallef has announced this is one of the largest activities it is organising this year, among various others planned for the capital city this summer.

Those attending the biannual event have been told they can enjoy the spectacle from the Ta’ Liesse area on the Valletta side of the Harbour. It is also being broadcasted live on Television Malta.

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