The Medical Association of Malta has said that the “tourist industry lobby has resulted in disastrous consequences for the economy and public health.”
In a statement on the current Covid-19 situation, it said that, “MAM must unfortunately register that all the consequences it had foreseen and publicly warned about are now materialising.”
The MAM stated that it is the “time to rise up to the situation and start fixing the damage. Government decisions must be based on sound scientific advice.”
It argued that all events of more then ten people are the “root cause” of our problem and “must be stopped immediately.”
“If we are to avoid a lockdown strict social distancing, and widespread wearing of masks with very strict enforcement, preferably by the Police with on the spot fines is necessary,” the MAM added.
It went on to say that, the “Santa Maria” feast which normally commemorates the end WW2 siege by the Malta convoy, may now be associated with “our darkest hour” as air travel is seriously limited in the Covid crisis.
“The pressure by the MHRA on the Malta Tourism Authority and the government has led to misguided decisions and disastrous consequences on the tourist industry and public health alike,” said the MAM.
It said that most EU countries have shown us “the red card” practically issuing Malta a “formal certificate of incompetence.”
Opening the airport to high risk countries with no precautions whatsoever, “the promotion of the delusion that the war is over” and the “completely irrational decision to actively promote mass events to irresponsible revellers created a lethal poisoned cocktail which the Maltese people will find very hard to swallow” stated MAM.
It stressed that Covid numbers are steadily rising, and frontline health staff must risk their own health because of “miscalculated decisions essentially based on a mixture of greed, false expectations and disregard of logical scientific advice.”
MAM warned that, “the livelihood of both employers and of thousands of employees in the tourist sector is now at grave risk.”
The government cannot afford to be “in denial” of the grave situation, or look like a “dazed and confused boxer after a knockout blow with no sense of direction,” it said.
“It must recognise its errors and deal immediately and decisively to prevent further irreparable damage,” stated MAM. “It is now time to follow the advice of the experts in public health and be guided by scientific evidence.”
This includes effective public health measures aiming to reduce the Covid numbers in as short a time frame as possible are necessary, said MAM.
MAM argued that “there is no place for partying, for discos, or clubbing in the thick of such an epidemic, when very sick people are presenting to Mater Dei.”
The Maltese people have shown great discipline from March to May, and Government decisions must be based of the successful experience of that period, it said.
The MAM concluded by saying that it is pausing all its directives for a week as from Saturday “expecting decisive action by the Government.”