Abela needs to take a clearer stand on Covid measures
Blog post by Marica Micallef
On 11th March last year, Business Today reported that new covid-19 restrictions will be imposed as positive cases had hit 510 in 24 hours. Prime Minister Robert Abela himself announced these new restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 and ease the pressure on hospitals.
A year later, exactly March 29th 2022, Times of Malta reported that “New COVID cases soar to 603, authorities again keep information under wraps” because there was no health minister in saddle at the moment. A few hours later, the same media portal reported that now we were up to 717 new COVID-19 cases due to the new Omicron subvariant, described as “more contagious”. Not only that, but we were also informed that “The Health Authorities’ daily COVID update on Facebook was stalled on Monday, coinciding with Robert Abela’s swearing-in as prime minister.”
One needs to reflect on the drama that this government and the Health Authorities had made us go through in the last two years. What has happened to the most “dangerous pandemic”? Has it gone to nada?
Why are the health authorities and the minister not giving important updates and holding conferences about the number of cases, including when they were soaring again? Why were restrictions imposed when we had 510 cases last year, but now, with 717 new cases and even more, no restrictions are being imposed?
Professor Charmaine Gauci said that
If the vaccines are working, so why do we have such a high number of positive cases again? If the vaccines worked, why did we have an increase last year too? And we are having another one now? Did the authorities impose restrictions last year, to give a push to the take up of the vaccine? Are restrictions now not being imposed because they know that vaccines are not working at all?
Professor Gauci stated that the focus would from now on be on personal responsibility. So did Prime Minister Abela said in his inaugural address to the nation after winning the general election. While pledging to remove every last remaining Covid-19 restriction, Abela said that we must leave the two difficult years the pandemic has brought about, behind us and that while he will keep on seeking expert advice, “the government will continue down the road of removing all restrictions. We must reach a stage where, as much as possible, we can adopt the style of people choosing how to best take care of themselves.” On a personal note, I have been choosing the best practices to take care of myself since the start of Covid-19. No government has the right to choose for me! So, what makes it different now than last year?
I advise the public not to feel as if the government is doing us a favour by removing restrictions. Instead, Abela needs to take a clearer stand on the Covid measurements. The Maltese nation has a right to know exactly were it stands so that it can plan its future better.