Prime Minister Robert Abela urged people on Sunday not to drop their guard against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking on ONE Radio, Abela said Malta had managed to return to normality thanks to its vaccination programme.

Abela said hundreds of lives had been saved in Malta thanks to the vaccination programme and it would be a “fundamental mistake” for people not to take their booster shot.

Abela said people given an appointment for the booster jab should take it, to help the country preserve what it has achieved in the battle against the pandemic.

He said countries with lower vaccination rates than Malta’s were again being forced to put in place sweeping restrictions in a bid to control a surge in cases.

On the emergence of a new variant known as Omicron, Abela said the government had immediately reacted by restricting travel from African countries impacted by the new COVID-19 strain.

Abela assured the government would continue to take timely, evidence-based decisions when it came to handling the pandemic.

Cannabis reform

Turning to government plans to ease restrictions on cannabis use, Abela said people caught smoking a joint should not have their future ruined.

“We do not want people who are not criminals treated as such. Smoking a joint does not make you a criminal.”

He said people with a criminal record for drug offences struggle to get ahead in life.

Abela said the new cannabis law would give people caught with small amounts of cannabis in the past the opportunity to expunge their criminal record.

The prime minister slammed the Opposition for its flip-flopping stance on the reform.

Abela mocked the PN for “disintegrating” every time the government proposed ambitious reforms.

In contrast, people know where they stand with the Labour party, he said.

Abela welcomed the opening of a new therapeutic centre for drug users at a Siġġiewi facility.

The prime minister said the government wants to offer drug users all possible opportunities to reform and re-enter society.  

Speaking ahead of a Labour fundraising activity next Sunday, Abela said there was no doubt in people’s minds that PL is the party that always places the country’s interests first.

“We must remain the party of national unity. People want Malta to be led by a party that loves its country”, Abela said.

Abela vouched that the government would continue converting the trust shown in it into further efforts to improve people’s lives.

The prime minister welcomed an announcement this week that the European Commission had handed down a positive opinion about Malta’s 2022 budgetary plans.

He said the Commission was in agreement with the growth forecasts and fiscal aims underpinning the budget.