The Prime Minister said on Sunday he got emotional while announcing new COVID-19 measures during the week because he felt for businesses and politicians "are not robots".

During a news conference on Wednesday, Abela announced a number of new measures in reaction to the increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases.

Throughout the conference, he was visibly tense and on Sunday admitted he had been under immense pressure in the last few weeks.

The Prime Minister was speaking during a political activity with his wife Lydia, at Ġnien l-Għarusa tal-Mosta, held to commemorate Women’s Day.

“This pandemic came with no warnings or guidelines, but we worked hard to ensure we protect our society. Yes, there were moments when we could have done better, we prioritised the health and care of our workers, but we also had to prioritise employers.”

He said that a year on since the first cases were recorded in Malta, there are not enough words to thank the health frontliners who have been giving their all.  

“They faced so many difficulties, they are human and we cannot forget that... we are all flesh and blood. Politicians too, they are not robots, we all have feelings.

“Speaking personally, when I announced the new measures this week I was emotional, I felt for all the restaurant owners who can now only provide a take-away service. I feel for the people, I understand the difficulties people have felt these past 12 months,” he said.

Abela said that the government will continue to provide support and appealed to everyone to continue following regulations and taking care of one another.

"We need to protect our health and that of our health care workers and employees,” he added.

The Prime Minister said he is satisfied with the progress of the vaccination programme, putting Malta among the top countries in the EU. He said the government will continue working to ensure Malta retains that position. 

Women's Day

Lydia Abela said the day should still be celebrated despite the pandemic. Women should be celebrated, especially since they are the ones most impacted by COVID-19, some trying to find a work-life balance at home, working and taking care of their children.

Many women are also frontliners, and as a country Malta benefited from their intelligence, determination and work, she said.

She also made reference to the gender equality measures aimed at increasing female representation in Parliament.

“We have made huge strides in technology, economically and in education but when a young girl looks at parliament she will see the same parliament there was 75 years ago."

She said that all this time, despite the huge strides the country has taken, parliament has made no progress when it comes to women's representation.

Parliament should represent society as a whole, and women should not have to make huge sacrifices that men do not. 

She said that during the past year, one woman who truly had had an influence on society is Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci.

“She is a huge role model for so many. With her attitude she has been able to hold a country together and, as a woman, she showed that she is capable of being a leader in a sector usually dominated by men."