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Fearful Malta tells UK to study Covid figures ‘intelligently’
Nervous Maltese tourism chiefs have looked to shore up confidence in the destination amid fears the government may consider imposing restrictions on returning UK citizens.
While admitting an increase in the number of Covid cases, Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) insisted it was safe for visitors.
It warned against taking the numbers out of context and urged UK authorities to take an ‘intelligent’ approach.
The MTA said the country has 249 active cases with only three receiving treatment in hospital.
“Tourism is important for us, but the safety of our people and the people who visit us is more important and we would never put people in jeopardy,” MTA said in a statement.
“The small number of cases in Malta vis-a-vis the size of the population can easily give a skewed impression of the actual situation, more so if the numbers are seen out of context.
“We trust that all governments will analyse the figures intelligently and we are open to all discussions to ensure that we can mitigate any concern.”
The travel industry has argued the government took anything but an intelligent approach towards Spain when it ruled out all non-essential travel to the Balearics and Canary Islands despite the low number of Covid cases.
The MTA insisted the country’s contact tracing system is ‘working well’, with increased swabbing. More nurses are also being hired to conduct a greater number of tests.
“Malta in fact has one of the highest, if not the highest testing rates in Europe,” the statement added. “As a result, we have quickly identified where these cases are linked to and those affected are in quarantine.
“Even before reopening our borders, we have worked hard to ensure the safety of our citizens and people who want to come to our shores.
“Our healthcare system and handling of the virus have received praise from numerous sources including the European Commission, the Commonwealth, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.
It added that protocols are in place to ensure people remain socially distanced and that face coverings are worn.
In addition, MTA said temperature checks and thermal screening is taking place at all ports for all arrivals by air and sea.
All major festivals have also been cancelled.
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