The entertainment lobby and individual artists have accused the authorities of double standards following the crowds that attended the political party events on Sunday, in blatant breach of COVID-19 rules.
In a post on Facebook, the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association said the scenes seen during political rallies contrasted with the restrictions they were still facing.
The association last week called for the removal of all restrictions, denouncing the “ongoing discrimination” against the industry.
“Mass political rallies and emerging photos of political organised events, unfortunately, continue to confirm that there is a two-weights, two-measures policy when it comes to our industry. Stand-up mass gathering events are still not allowed and vaccinations are still mandatory for mass gatherings.
“These irregularities further expose the fact that there is no level playing field, which continue to result in ongoing financial difficulties for the private sector. We, therefore, reiterate our call for all restrictions to be lifted with immediate effect,” the association said.
It said the restrictions currently affecting their sector discriminate with their audiences.
“There is no science and no logic that supports the argument that the virus is able to distinguish between buildings, types of events or human behaviour. MEIA has always supported the restrictions needed when it was required but whilst other countries have completely moved on, major festivals around the world are operating with no restrictions and our country is one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, we now cannot understand the logic anymore and therefore cannot endorse this reasoning,” it said.
It said there was “illogical reasoning” stopping the authorities from lifting restrictions, especially in view of Malta's vaccine booster uptake in comparison to other countries.
MEIA warned that business will not be back to normal even after these restrictions are completely removed and that “it will take years to get back the momentum we once had”.
World-renowned tenor Joseph Calleja too joined the call for the removal of restrictions.
In a tweet, he said: “Can we please remove ALL restrictions in Malta? I am glad (without sarcasm) that people are in election gear and supporting their party of choice, but can everyone in Malta enjoy the same freedoms please?”
Over the past weeks, the government has relaxed measures introduced to contain the spread of the virus. These include the elimination of vaccine certificates to enter establishments as well as the removal of masks in public open spaces from March 14, including those who are not vaccinated.
From today, quarantine periods for so-called primary contacts of those who do not reside in the same household will go down from seven days to five days. The quarantine for primary contacts in the same household will go down from 10 to seven days. The reduced quarantine is only applicable to those who are fully vaccinated.
From March 7, quarantine for vaccinated primary contacts will be eradicated completely, provided the virus numbers remain under control. For fully vaccinated persons who test positive, a test is required on day seven for early release, provided there are three days without symptoms prior to discharge.