Vodafone employees who attended the weekend-long party Hotel Takeover party have been asked to work from home, forcing the company to temporarily close some of its stores because of staff shortages. 

A cluster of 18 COVID-19 cases has so far been linked to the hotel party that took place at the Radisson Blu almost two weeks ago. 

In comments to Times of Malta, a Vodafone spokesperson said that the telephony company had been made aware of a number of employees who attended the party. 

“We have identified and contacted these employees and others who have had direct interaction with these individuals, and they are receiving our full support in accordance with the Public Health Authority guidelines. 

“Some of our employees have been asked to work remotely, and this has therefore resulted in short-staffing across our stores, with some stores needing to be closed temporarily,” the spokesperson said.

Questioned by Times of Malta whether any employees tested positive, the spokesperson did not say, but she said the stores have been “deep cleaning” and the public health authorities had certified them as safe. 

Vodafone's flagship store in Birkirkara remained open, but other stores around the island were closed. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

"We are closely following the recommendations given to us by the Public Health Authority, who have advised that there is no cause for alarm. Thanks to the safeguarding and social distancing policies we have been implementing at our stores, the Public Health Authority has informed us that any risk to customers is minimal. We are in constant contact with the Public Health Authority and are following all their recommendations." 

The three-day party was thrust into the spotlight after it emerged that a person who attended tested positive for the virus. Within days, Malta’s number of coronavirus active cases more than doubled, and on Tuesday it stood at 34. This is the highest number of active cases in over a month. 

The cluster of cases has also sparked discussion about mass events, with 10 medical organisations even calling on the authorities to ban mass events in the wake of the recent spike. 

On online petition making similar calls has also amassed thousands of signatures, with over 11,000 individuals putting their name to it in a day.

Prime Minister Robert Abela has however downplayed concerns, saying on Sunday, when 14 new cases were detected, that Malta will “remain open for business”.