Latest COVID-19 measures 'late' and 'reactive'

The latest COVID-19 measures announced on Thursday afternoon are “weak, belated and reactive” and do little to address the “true problem” stemming from lack of enforcement, workers’ associations decried. 

Reacting to the series of measures unveiled by Prime Minister Robert Abela, which include restaurants being shut and limits on gatherings and contact sports, the Association of Catering Establishments (ACE) said: “the government in its PR exercise has made a sacrificial lamb out of restaurants”.

In a harsh statement, the association accused the health authorities of bullying small micro enterprises without addressing the real problem.

"It was easy for them to attack the small entrepreneurs rather than address the bullies... Catering establishments, bars and clubs have been the continuous target of the health authorities showing that the ministry is very weak in handling the situation and has no real adequate strategy,”  ACE said. 

The association said it also disagreed with the authorities’ claim that restaurants were behind the spike in infections, saying the situation in households was worse. 

It also criticised the government for failing to give restaurant owners time to...