Booster doses will start being administered to residents in homes for the elderly from Monday, Health Minister Chris Fearne said, after two clusters were detected among the elderly.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Fearne said despite the 14 cases forming part of the two clusters having been vaccinated, they still tested positive for the virus.
"It looks like our decision to keep giving booster doses for elderly was timely and now we are going ahead. We originally thought booster doses in homes could start on September 13, but as we are seeing these cases, we have moved the booster programme forward by a week," Fearne said.
While the symptoms of the infected are not serious, the elderly often have underlying conditions so "there might be consequences", Fearne said.
Also from next week, the immuno-suppressed will start receiving their invites for their booster dose, which Fearne said will be either Pfizer or Moderna, even if the first dose received was AstraZeneca.
From the first week of October, all those over 70 will start being offered the booster.
Asked why the authorities had opted to give booster doses despite the ECDC's advice that there was no such need, Fearne said the EU agency actually said the immuno-compromised should be vaccinated.
Since Malta was one of the first countries to start its vaccination programme, it could not wait for immunity to start diminishing in other countries before acting.
The first round of boosters will be given to some 85,000 people, Fearne said.
Other changes in regulations
Fearne said the return of standing events, will continue as planned on Monday, although they will remain capped at 100 people who must be fully-vaccinated and must wear a mask during the event.
From September 13, if the COVID-19 situation remains under control, indoor standing events will also be allowed while the distance between bubbles in seated events will go down from two metres to one metre.
For now, the events will either be standing or seated and mixed events will not be allowed.
Anyone attending standing events will have to wear their mask throughout, and may only be removed while eating and drinking.
From the end of September, the authorities will start holding so-called 'pilot events', which will allow larger gatherings with less restrictions as long as those attending are fully vaccinated. Those attending these pilot events will have to take a PCR tests some days later. This, Fearne said, would help the authorities gauge whether such activities are safe, especially ahead of Christmas.
"That way, we would be able to ensure that Christmas activities are viable and allow commerce and social and cultural life to flourish without causing serious problems at our hospitals," Fearne said.
On the pilot project, Culture Minister Jose Herrera said there will be two events that will see up to 300 people attending.
This, he said, will serve as a "scientific study" that will inform decisions that need to be taken.
More details on the two events will be unveiled at a later stage, the minister said.
Most people sticking to measures
Speaking next, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci said the seven-day moving average is 53 while the positivity rate is 1.6 per cent.
"The Maltese are mostly sticking to the measures," she said, pointing also to the high vaccination rate.
This meant the authorities were now cautiously moving forward, Gauci said, though she was quick to add "the pandemic is still around".
Schools protocols finalised
The minister also confirmed that protocols for schools have been finalised and will be published by the Education Minister soon.
The authorities want all schools at all levels to reopen although some measures will remain in place.
The minister confirmed that the University of Malta will once again reopen after students were forced to follow lectures online since the pandemic hit in March 2020.