The doctors’ union has warned that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is yet to come as mass gatherings continue to go unchecked.
In a statement on Monday, the Medical Association of Malta called for an end to “cynical gambles with the health of the vulnerable and the elderly”.
"The worst is still to come as uncontrolled mass gatherings continue unchecked. COVID numbers are rising at an alarming rate to unprecedented levels as parties and mass events continue to be held," they said.
"Data from March to June can mathematically predict about one death every 75 cases within 4-6 weeks,” the MAM said in its statement.
Malta currently has a record 396 active cases after 54 new cases reported on Sunday. - a record daily tally for new cases within the community.
The doctors’ union said that the many cases of COVID-19 that spread during a confirmation party shows how even normal social activities and family gatherings risk spreading the virus.
They said very little law enforcement officers were seen in a photograph of people clubbing at Paceville with no masks or social distancing, taken by an Italian journalist, or at parties of hundreds of people held over the weekend all over the island. It said large crowds were also reported in Comino and in Marsaxlokk. The Gozo ferry was jam-packed with most people not wearing any masks, MAM said.
“This is not how to control an epidemic but a perfect example of how to deliberately foment an epidemic when the R factor is about 2.0. The cynical argument that no deaths have occurred since June cannot justify the promotion of the idea of normality. Scientific evidence has clearly shown that the peak of intensive care admissions and deaths occurs 3 to 6 weeks after the peak of new cases. It is unethical not to prevent these deaths amongst elderly and vulnerable people with timely and effective public health measures,” the MAM said.
The association also slammed a report in the local media which had falsely re-assured people that Malta has the second-lowest number of cases, without correcting the figure per population.
In reality, the number of new coronavirus cases per day per 1000 population in Malta has risen to amongst the highest in Europe.