The Medical Association of Malta has said that it is “very concerned at the absence of leadership while the epidemic spirals out of control. Things will get much worse if our health care system collapses because of these very high numbers.”

In a statement on Monday, it said that “one last effort is necessary before the vaccine becomes available.”

It stressed that “the local Intensive Care Unit is nearly full up and will soon not be able to deal with increasing number of serious cases, be they Covid, traffic accidents or other diseases.”

It also pointed out that “many more patients from younger age groups are being admitted to hospital with serious Covid symptoms every day.”

The Medical Association of Malta has called on the health authorities to come up with an effective strategy and measures, similar to those in Spain, France and the UK, to bring the epidemic under control.

With daily numbers close to hundreds, it said that “the Prime Minister cannot behave like an ostrich with its head in the sand and state that it is business as usual, while deaths continue to occur from Covid every day.”

MAM stated that the government must stop sending “mixed messages” that the epidemic is under control, “grossly underestimating the gravity of the situation.”

It argued that this has encouraged many people not to take mask wearing seriously, accelerating the spread of the virus. “This does not augur well either for Public Health nor the economy.”

The MAM stated that “on the contrary the current situation but must be acted upon promptly and firmly, moving away from populism and be based on objective science and the common good. The idea that our elderly citizens can be sacrificed for the economy is unethical and completely unacceptable.”

The MAM went on to say that “understandably many people have become fed up with Covid restrictive measures, however according to WHO there is hope that a vaccine is very likely to be available by the end of the year. The fact that pay supplement will extended is also good news.”

For the above reasons MAM stated that it is calling for:

“obligatory mask wearing in all indoor places without exception and extend the obligation to all work places irrespective of social distancing.

Step up the educational campaign on how to wear masks and clearly explain why they are necessary

Shielding of the elderly and vulnerable groups should be intensified

Intensifying enforcements on mask wearing and more fines are essential as regards to mask wearing.

At the airport, introduce mandatory screening on all incoming passengers to swab 72 hours before departure rather than taking a very small sample. Flights from cities where a local lockdown is in place should be stopped.

Teleworking and work from home should continue to be encouraged.”

The MAM concluded by saying “consider more restrictive measures on non-essential services if the above fail, however these must always be financially compensated for their losses.”

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