Five entertainment establishments fined €3,000 for breaching rules on mass events

Five entertainment establishments were fined €3,000 for breaching restrictions on mass events, Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci said.

On Monday during an interview with TVM Gauci said that out of 200 inspections, five venues were found in breach of the rules introduced to limit the spread of COVID-19 and as such those responsible were fined.

The new restrictions on mass events came into force last week; it limits the number of persons inside a venue according to size, with no more than one person for every four square meters.

The numbers are capped at 100 people indoors and 300 outside. People may not stay in groups of more than 10 and there must also be two meters distance between groups.

On Monday 23 new cases of COVID-19 were registered, bringing the number of active cases to 415.

Gauci also said that 250 inspections were carried out in retail outlets, which resulted in 34 people being fined for not wearing a face mask.

The fine for refusing to wear a face mask inside shops is €50.

Gauci advised against calling the recent spike a second wave; she said that a peak in cases was being observed and measures were being put into place to control the situation.

“If after two weeks we observe that the situation is not improving, we will re-evaluate the situation,” Gauci said.

Gauci also warned that Gozitans should remain vigilant despite the low number of cases on the island.