Filenews 29 June 2021
Tougher measures will be imposed from tomorrow in Malta to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, banning, among other things, entry to unvaccinated British visitors in an attempt to stem the spread of the New Coronavirus Delta variant.
Unvaccinated children under the age of 12 will be able to enter the country if accompanied by an adult. However, the authorities' decision effectively prevents families with teenage children from holidaying in one of the few destinations Britain has placed on the "green list" - meaning tourists returning from Malta do not need to be quarantined.
Malta has just recorded one case of the Delta variant, but there are fears that this number will rise after Britain listed it on the "green list" last week. Although the rate of vaccination in Britain is among the highest in the world, this month saw a sharp increase in cases of the Delta variant. Most infections involve people under 40 years of age who have not been fully vaccinated.
Britain is the main source of tourist income for Malta: a third of tourist arrivals come from the UK.
Tourists from most other countries should only show a negative test for the new coronavirus, which has been carried out up to 72 hours before their arrival.
Many would-be British tourists expressed their disappointment at the authorities' decision. "Malta will lose money for accommodation, flights and (tourist) costs," Derek Roul wrote on the Maltese Information Ministry's Facebook page. He explained that he would now have to cancel his family holiday because of this new rule, which he called "arbitrary discrimination against teenagers."
Malta has fully vaccinated three quarters of the adult population and is preparing to start vaccination in the 12-18 age group. Since mid-May the number of new Covid-19 cases has been in single digits, almost on a daily basis.
SOURCE: RES-IPA
