As from today, a €100 fine will be applicable for any persons in a group of four or more in public, the fine is per person in the group.

As announced by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, the new Legal Notices have now been published and are shown in full below:

Number of Persons in Public Spaces Order, 2020

In exercise of the powers conferred by article 27(c) of the Public Health Act, the Superintendent of Public Health has made the following order:

1. The title of this order is the Number of Persons in Public Spaces Order, 2020.

2. In this order, unless the context otherwise requires: “public space” means any open outdoor space accessible to members of the general public.

The Superintendent of Public Health hereby orders that, in public spaces, groups of more than three (3) persons are prohibited including in queues and bus stops:

Provided that this prohibition shall not apply to groups of persons in public places if the persons live in the same residence:

Provided further that persons waiting in queues or on bus stops this prohibition shall only apply unless these persons do not keep a distance of two (2) metres between them:

Provided further that the Superintendent of Public Health may, at her discretion, increase the number of persons by notice in the Gazette.

The second Legal Notice relates to the enforcement of the Order as above:

Enforcement of the Order relating to the Number of Persons in Public Spaces Regulations, 2020

In exercise of the powers conferred by article 26 of the Public Health Act, the Minister responsible for public health, after consultation with the Superintendent of Public Health, has made the following regulations:-

1. The title of these regulations is the Enforcement of the order relating to the Number of Persons in Public Spaces Regulations,2020.

2 .In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires: “the Act” means the Public Health Act; “Superintendent” means the Superintendent of Public Health.

3. In accordance with article 27(c) of the Act, the Superintendent, is hereby prescribing measures to guard against and,or to control the COVID-19 infectious disease.

4. The Number of Persons in Public Spaces Order, 2020 issued by the Superintendent, shall be strictly adhered to.

5. Any person who fails to abide by the provisions of these regulations shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to the payment of a penalty of one hundred euro (€100) for each and every occasion in which that person breaches the Number of Persons in Public Spaces Order, 2020.

File photo by Alain Salvary

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