ADPD urges people to take COVID vaccine, blames Sigma event for start of current surge

ADPD has urged people to take the COVID-19 vaccine since scientific proof shows it is effective at offering protection from infection and helps minimise the ill-effects of infection.

The Green Party pledged support for health care professionals, calling out those who criticised the health authorities for being unable to handle the current surge.

“Criticism of the health authorities for not being able to handle the current surge is a joke. No health authority in the world is able to do it. We must support health authorities and all health professionals on this issue,” the party said.

Referring to UK research, which found that the vaccinated are 60 times less likely to end up in intensive care with COVID-19, the party insisted that vaccinations are backed by science and that vaccine accessibility in poor countries remains a serious social justice issue.

It also remarked that vaccinations protect one from serious illness but do not protect the unvaccinated from getting it and becoming seriously ill.

ADPD acknowledged that the pandemic created several epidemics and tragedies in Malta, ranging from deaths to long-term effects on healthy individuals and mental challenges caused by social exclusion.

The party, however, noted that government was responsible for giving in to pressure and allow a “massive party disguised as a conference for the privileged few”, with reference to the Sigma gaming community conference at the end of November. “While some benefited from Sigma, the rest of the economy suffered, not to mention the suffering of those who found themselves isolated from society.”

The Sigma conference was characterised by lax health protocols.

ADPD also insisted on enforcement of the pandemic measures, in order to mitigate the exponential increase in daily cases.

It called on health authorities to monitor international research, especially that with regards to quarantine for the asymptomatic and vaccinated people.

Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said quarantine reduction effective as from next Monday should ensure that essential services function without further depletion of their workforce.

Malta is battling a surge of COVID cases that saw the country witness a new daily record of infections on Thursday. There are currently more than 10,000 active cases in the community.