COVID-19 vaccine first step towards normality, PM says

Prime Minister Robert Abela welcomes start of vaccination programme, but insists people should remain cautious

The arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine in Malta heralds the first step towards normality, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Sunday.

Addressing party supporters on party radio station ONE Radio, Abela called on people to remain cautious, or else they risk what was achieved over the past 10 months.

“Today is a day of hope. The more people are vaccinated, the faster the economy will recover,” he said.

On Sunday morning, Infectious Disease Unit nurse Rachel Grech was the first Maltese person to receive one in a series of two jabs against the COVID-19 virus. A first stock of 10,000 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccines arrived in Malta on Saturday.

He also pointed out that while rolling out of vaccinations has been a sigh of relief, government has intensified its work.

Abela stated that contrary to “what the media had predicted”, thousands of people have not lost their job, thanks to government’s stimulus package.

The PM went on to say that mitigation measures were successful on both the economic and health fronts.

The Labour leader also predicted Malta’s economy will be among the first to recover.

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