An estimated €100 million more than what the government had originally allocated to the health sector will be spent in 2020, Health Minister Chris Fearne revealed on Tuesday. 

Addressing a press conference with Finance Minister Edward Scicluna, Fearne gave a recap of some of the measures announced by Prime Minister Robert Abela on Monday evening. 

The measures are part of the government’s plan to bring the economy back on its feet in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that has brought the whole world to its knees. 

Fearne said the government has stepped up health-related spending by some €100 million more than what had been budgeted for 2020.

Acknowledging that some countries abroad were still registering high numbers of COVID-19 cases, Fearne assured that the situation in Malta remained under control. 

On Tuesday, he said, only two new cases were registered overnight, with another person recovering. The rate of the virus’s spread, commonly referred to as the R factor, has gone down to 0.6. 

“That is a very, very low rate,” Fearne said. 

On fears there could be a second wave of infections later on in the year, Fearne insisted the health authorities are well prepared for this possibility. 

“We must remain vigilant. The only difference is that now we have all the preparations in place. 

“All the systems are in place in case we have a second wave of infections and we also have an early detection system. We can know what might happen ahead,” Fearne said. 

That is why, he went on, the government’s strategy now was to focus on containing the virus while also ensuring that people are “living their lives”. 

On his part, Scicluna said the measures unveiled on Monday evening reflect the “next phase in this unprecedented situation”.

Pointing to the construction, iGaming and financial services industries, Scicluna said these had been crucial during the pandemic as they kept the Maltese economy going. 

On the government’s decision to only cut the electricity tariffs for businesses affected by COVID-19 and not for households, the Finance Minister said this was because the government wanted to encourage people to go to work and not to stay home. 

“The measure is not for those staying home but for those who are courageous and who are part of the economic activity,” Scicluna said.