[WATCH] European Commissioner ‘confident’ Malta will adjust unvaccinated travel ban

European Commissioner Thierry Breton has suggested that government could end up adapting a recent decision to ban unvaccinated travellers from entering Malta, so as to make sure that any restrictions are non-discriminatory.

“Each state has its own situation,” he said, adding that decisions taken on the issue are subject to government's discretion.

Breton suggested that alternative measures could be adopted by Malta to ensure unvaccinated travellers are not discriminated against. It is understood that one of these measures could be the use of mandatory quarantine periods for unvaccinated travellers.

He remarked that Brussels’ initial understanding of the travel ban was that Malta would fully restrict unvaccinated travellers from the country, but that government has since made their intention clear on the issue.

“I am confident that government will be able to adapt this decision,” he said.

READ ALSO: Non-vaccinated travel ban could be discriminatory, EU warns

Having been tasked with the EU’s vaccination task force, Breton visited Malta to congratulate government for its successful vaccination drive.

In fact, he had pledged to visit the most vaccinated country by mid-July.

EC Commissioner Thierry Breton during a cordial visit to the Office of the Prime Minister

He was particularly impressed by Malta having managed to vaccinate 81% of the adult population, far exceeding the 70% herd immunity goal.

During his visit, Breton met with Prime Minister Robert Abela, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli, and Economy Minister Silvio Schembri.

The discussions largely centred around the hotel and pharmaceutical industries, as well as Malta’s vaccination campaign.