Restaurants will be shut down and have their licence to operate suspended if they are twice caught breaching rules imposed once they re-open on Friday, the government has announced. 

In a press conference on Tuesday, Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli said that restaurants will be issued with a compliance certificate which is handed out after on-site inspections. Owners must fill in a self-assessment form which is then checked by inspectors from either the Malta Tourism Authority or the health authorities. The form has to be filled daily. 

Anyone caught in breach of the rules twice will have the licence suspended. 

While encouraging people to look out for the certificate, which will be affixed at the entrance of restaurants, Farrugia Portelli would not say whether this is mandatory. 

Asked by Times of Malta whether re-opening without the certificate would be permitted, the minister insisted many had already been following the rules and so were already compliant. 

She then said she envisaged the entire inspection process would be completed within two weeks. 

On the re-opening of social clubs (każini), Farrugia Portelli said this would be allowed though operators should provide service to tables and people should not hang around by the bar. 

‘Hotels were never closed down’

Farrugia Portelli told Times of Malta that hotels had technically not been closed down and were allowed to continue operating. 

In fact, she said, some families had even opted to go for a short break, while adhering to all the rules in place. 

As of Friday, however, hotels could start a new phase aimed at so-called internal tourism, which will see them attracting locals instead of tourists as flights to Malta remain banned.