More testing needed at borders, PN's COVID Action Team says

The Nationalist Party reiterated its position on having better COVID border screening for sea and air arrivals

The Nationalist Party's COVID Action Team has issued a statement to reiterate the party's position on having better border screening for COVID, both at sea and air borders.

The action team is suggesting that any unvaccinated person travelling through Malta ought to be tested for COVID as soon as they step on Maltese soil, even if they have already provided a negative PCR test in their home country.

If the person is vaccinated, they must present a certificate confirming this, together with a negative PCR test up until 72 hours prior to departure.

It is also calling for more logistical control at the borders in order to better manage the influx of tourists coming to Malta, and avoid the lengthy queues and bureaucratic chaos seen in the previous weeks. 

"We are suggesting this in order to further reduce the possibility of introducing variants into our country and ensure that the tourism and hospitality sectors, so important for our economy, continues at the pace it has picked up and continues to be enjoyed in our country."

"This also, in order to avoid that our country will have to re-impose on it some restrictions related to the spread of the pandemic, and we will continue to live in normality while respecting and enforcing those preventive measures. already existing."

Malta registered 96 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, marking the highest single-day increase since March 27. From the 55 new cases registered in the previous day, 90% were unvaccinated, foreign arrivals, with the majority being English-language students.

Health authorities did not divulge any information on 96 cases registered on Friday.

This led to heavy criticism from the Medical Association of Malta, which had strongly advised the tourism authorities to promote safe tourism while prohibiting activities that attract "unruly tourists".

In a separate statement, Forum Unions Malta argued that only vaccinated tourists should be able to enter Malta.