Maltese health associations urge public to avoid household gatherings to curb COVID spread

Several specialist health associations are calling on the public to avoid household gatherings over the Easter period, as they are among the most efficient ways of spreading the virus.

"We are grateful to the public who, in their majority, have followed public health measures," the group said in a statement. 

"However, we insist that household gatherings are curtailed over the Easter period. Only a maximum of two household should be allowed and only because working parents may need to leave their children with other family members. Strict safety measures need to be adhered to, even within households."

The associations said that both local and foreign data have shown that household gatherings are major sources of virus spread, with the Centre for Disease Control having said so on several occasions.

"With everywhere closed over Easter, the risk of families meeting indoors is high and all the sacrifices made over this month will, once again, be undone if we are not self disciplined," the associations warned.

They urged health authorities to be constantly proactive in managing the crisis, saying that mitigation has often been too little and too late, resulting in a precarious health situation today.

They further appealed to the public to refrain from meeting people outside their household over Easter.

"Healthy young people are dying and the situation will only get worse before it starts to get better.   We all need to do our bit to protect ourselves and our loved ones. This virus is different to what it was one year ago. It spreads incredibly quickly and is more deadly."

The statement was signed off by the following entities:

• Association of Emergency Physicians Malta
• Associations of Surgeons Malta
• Association of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeons Malta
• Associations of Anaesthetists Malta
• Association of Physicians Malta
• Malta Association of Ophthmologists
• Malta Association of Psychiatry
• Malta Association of Public Health Medicine
• Malta Association of Radiologists and Nucelar Medicine Physicians
• Malta Association of Dermatologists and Venereologists
• Malta College of Pathologiusts
• Malta College of Family Doctors
• Malta College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists
• Malta paediatric Association
• Geriatric Medicine Society Malta