Family gatherings blatant disregard of COVID restrictions, doctors say

Family doctors have said gatherings inside private homes are nullifying social distancing recommendations aimed at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Malta College of Family Doctors (MCFD) has complained of scant enforcement of the restrictive measures aimed to bring down the high numbers of COVID-19 infections and to keep Malta out of a lockdown. 

“We understand the reasoning for trying not to follow in the steps of other European Union member states who went into partial lockdowns, but on the other hand does not understand the scant enforcement of the restrictive measures aimed to circuit-break the current high numbers while keeping the country out of a lockdown. 

“It is ironic that most schoolchildren, who are the least affected by COVID-19, are diligently wearing face masks, staying in bubbles and regularly cleaning hands and desks, whilst a substantial part of the vulnerable elderly, who are most at risk of COVID-19, are aggregating in groups in broad daylight without appropriate wearing of masks and without the recommended social distancing,” the MFCD said. 

The College called for an educational campaign targeted towards why and how the elderly should help themselves. 

It also said it did not approve of social gatherings in private homes and other premises “in a blatant circumvention of social distancing recommendations.” 

“This nullifies the big sacrifices of owners and employees of small businesses that had to close down because of the same social distancing recommendations. 

“The MCFD calls on policy makers to learn from their mistakes of the summer when they shot the country in the foot by allowing incoming tourists to enter the country without prior testing for COVID-19 and allowing mass events. Restrictive measures issued by national authorities must be enforced by the same national authorities.” 

The College said Malta’s “cultural and historical trend of a society that lacks discipline” had to be reversed to get out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and said Malta’s healthcare system had to be protected. 

“Already characterised by decreased and/or stalled services, our country cannot risk to have the health care system overwhelmed, not only to maintain care of COVID19 patients but to continue to provide sterling care to patients with all the other diseases which continue to exert their usual toll.”