A group of entertainment businesses calling for an injunction to block COVID-19 regulations that came into force on January 17 withdrew their application after the superintendent of public health testified that those measures were due to be relaxed soon.
When the case was called on Friday morning, Superintendent of Health Charmaine Gauci took the witness stand in the proceedings filed by the 17 applicants requesting the warrant of prohibitory injunction to stop the public health measures which have since entered into effect.
According to the rules being contested, a vaccine certificate is required to enter a number of catering and entertainment establishments, including bars and nightclubs, restaurants, cinemas and gyms among several others.
These rules are, however, scheduled to be relaxed in February.
“Proof of vaccination being required for entry to certain establishments was an alternative to having to shut down all establishments,” explained Gauci when testifying before Madam Justice Miriam Hayman who presided over the case filed against the superintendent herself, the health minister, the police commissioner as well as the state advocate.
The court was also presented with a graph showing the sharp spike in positive cases which had necessitated the taking of such measures.
However, now that the number of COVID-19 cases appeared to be dropping, those measures could be relaxed.
The necessary legislation to implement such lifting of restrictions as of February 7 had been drafted and public health officials were currently working to publish revised standards for such commercial establishments, the superintendent said.
In light of that testimony confirming the lifting of restrictions, the applicants’ lawyers filed a note informing the court that the request for an injunction was withdrawn, given that its purpose had been achieved.
Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi, Franco Debono, Keith Borg and Edric Micallef Figallo represented the applicants. State Advocate Chris Soler and lawyer Anthony Borg represented the respondents.