The MHRA warned that the new restrictive measures announced yesterday by government have “piled even more economic pressure on the hospitality industry which has seen business for most operators reduced to nothing or a trickle since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.”

In a statement, it said that the hospitality industry needs to see that the “so-called herd immunity – that is 75 per cent of the population being vaccinated – is reached before end June 2021 which would enable the industry to be open for business for the summer season.”

The MHRA urged the government to “do whatever is necessary to ensure that the June target is reached.”

It went on to say that “the Health Ministry’s roadmap for vaccination at the present moment is projected to reach the ‘Herd immunity’ by end August 2021. The country needs to bring this target forward to end June 2021.”

“The business of hospitality is to bring people together and the Covid-19 virus thrives on social gatherings and multiplies with social contact,” it said.

The MHRA added that, “he hospitality industry understands this fact and was pinning and is still pinning its hopes on the quickest possible rollout of the vaccine in the Maltese islands so as one can return to some form of normality and allow the hospitality industry to move out of the ‘intensive care’ zone into the ‘rehabilitation zone.”

MHRA said that it has conveyed to government it’s continued support to ensure that protocols are adhered to and will continue its dialogue to ensure that Malta will exit these immensely difficult times in the shortest time possible.

“In this respect, meetings are regularly held between MHRA and the highest authorities, to ensure close and continued cooperation between the stakeholders of the hospitality industry and the government,” it said.

Photo by Alain Salvary

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