Recent health protocols announced by the government are inconsistent and unjustifiable, and will leave already crippled businesses devastated, according to the CEO of the Malta Chamber of SMEs, Abigail Mamo.
“As a lobby group we are extremely disappointed by the new protocols, which are inconsistent and illogical restrictions on already crippled sectors,” Mamo said.
Last Friday, the government announced that seated mass events will resume on July 5 for fully vaccinated people with a vaccine certificate.
Events will have their capacity capped at 100 people at first, going up gradually to 200 over the course of four weeks. Events can be held both indoors and outdoors but must be held in enclosed areas.
Mamo said it is unfair that wedding receptions can be held without people having to show a negative test result or a vaccine certificate, but people going to events must abide by the latest strict rules.
“This sector had to wait for the vaccine, for herd immunity, now what is it waiting for?
We are asking for the government to learn from what is happening abroad
“How is that weddings and press conferences are allowed? Pictures of crowded airports and buses have surfaced, but the health authorities do not bat an eyelid,” she said.
“We say we are the nation with the best vaccination records, but we are the nation that is holding back the most, which is very regressive.”
Mamo said that such sectors felt disrespected by the health authorities.
When asked what their recommendations would be, Mamo said that they have provided numerous proposals to the health authorities and that the lobby has done everything possible.
She said that other countries have been bolder, some holding large-scale events with people fully vaccinated or carrying a negative PCR test.
“We are not saying that the government must take such bold decisions, but we are asking for it to learn from what is happening abroad so we can move on to normality,” Mamo said.
She noted that the restrictions affect thousands of employees, ranging from event organisers, venue owners, stage crew and other professionals, which she described are ‘going mad’ waiting to work.
Mamo also said that tourism vessel operators have also been hit by discriminatory health restrictions.
Apart from operators having to carry a restricted number of passengers due to social distancing rules, they also are banned from serving alcohol on-board.
“Before the pandemic, such operators could offer passengers food and alcohol, or else allow them to have their own alcohol beverages. This ban is having a harmful impact on the sector,” she said, adding that operators are facing a large number of cancellations.
“We must understand that tourism vessel operators are only permitted to work for 100 days in a year. Three weeks of this season have passed, and apart from receiving few bookings, they must also pay hundreds of euros in licence fees,” Mamo said.