PN wants increased screening of incoming travellers at Malta’s borders

The Nationalist Party has called on government to introduce new measures at airports and ports.

“The added scrutiny would avoid the introduction of new variants which could pose a threat to the vaccination and herd immunity programme,” the PN’s COVID action team said in a statement.

They said Malta should have a more efficient contract tracing system, and quicker coronavirus testing. “In this period of high active cases we need to avoid crowds and protect all protective measures in particular protective mask wear.”

On Monday, Malta recorded 252 new COVID-19 cases, as hospitalisations jumped to 42.

“As the Omicron variant spreads across Europe at a high rate and as the numbers in our country are rising rapidly as well, the Nationalist Party stresses that we should anticipate controlling this pandemic,” a statement read.

The COVID action team called on people to avoid crowds and make use of protective measures like mask wear. “We also encourage members of the government to do the same.”

It said government should be more transparent when rolling out measures, insisting restrictions should not be “discriminatory”.

The PN said the wage supplement should be extended to March. “Like the rest of the country, restaurants are also facing a shocking rise in the cost of living which is in turn affecting all types of food. If the government does not want to offer an extended wage supplement, it should at least consider taking the PN's proposal to reduce VAT to 7%.”