Chris Fearne: Is the pandemic really over or not?

Blog post by Marica Micallef

Dr Fearne has confirmed what this site has published back in the beginning of April: that the fourth dose or the second Covid-19 booster shot will be given to those whose ages range between 60 and 80.[1] In fact, our elderly are receiving an invitation to get their fourth dose.

This was announced by Fearne while appearing on ONE TV’s Paperscan. He stated that the government is offering the fourth dose of the Covid-19 jab to all those who are 65 and over, after this was rolled out to those who are 80 and over. The Times of Malta reported that “People who are 65 and over will “soon” start to receive invitations for a second COVID-19 booster shot.”[2] As stated, these invitations have started to be posted.

Lovin Malta added that although Fearne pledged that the uptake of this second booster will be strictly voluntary, even the initial booster was technically so. However, “the health authorities had incentivised people to get vaccinated by effectively blocking out those who didn’t take it out of parts of social life.”[3] Fortunately enough, this time round, the health initiative was lukewarmly received. For sure, this is forcing the government and the Health Authorities to think twice about forcing the fourth jab on the non-vaccinated and those who stopped at the first two doses?

What is contradictory in Fearne’s  announcement is that he “confidently claimed that Malta has reached the end of the pandemic and the PL mass meeting held on 1st May to commemorate Workers’ Day was supposedly used to have a double meeting. Besides commemorating the workers achievements, it was a celebration of a nation’s victory over the virus.”[4]

So, if Malta [and I guess together with the rest of the world], has reached the end of the pandemic, then why does Dr Fearne want to give the fourth dose to those 65 and over? Shouldn’t there be a stop to these shots with the end of the pandemic?

Then there is the issue of the travel bans. Fearne stated that we will soon go back to normality even when it comes to travelling because, he announced that “Eventually, there will be no more red or dark red countries. It won’t matter where you’re coming from as long as you have a vaccination certificate, a recovery certificate, or a negative PCR test,”[5] while adding that an implementation date for these new measures will be announced in the coming days.

Why aren’t these travelling requirements being scrapped then, considered that we have reached the end of the pandemic? Doesn’t this mean that travellers are still being denied freedom of movement unless they bow to these requirements?

---

[1] https://simonmercieca.com/2022/04/08/fearne-has-lied-to-the-public-about-the-fourth-dose/

[2] https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/over-65s-will-soon-receive-invite-for-second-covid-19-booster-shot.951862

[3] https://lovinmalta.com/lifestyle/health/covid-19/malta-to-offer-second-covid-19-booster-to-over-65s-on-a-strictly-voluntary-basis/

[4] https://lovinmalta.com/lifestyle/health/covid-19/malta-to-offer-second-covid-19-booster-to-over-65s-on-a-strictly-voluntary-basis/

[5] https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/over-65s-will-soon-receive-invite-for-second-covid-19-booster-shot.951862