MAM today noted with satisfaction that Air Malta flights to Lombardy have been suspended. Air Malta has reacted responsibly to contain the COVID-19 spread and protect the population, the doctors’ union said.
The situation is not business as usual and it is paramount that decision taking at the highest level gives priority to the health of the population and this should take precedence over business interests.
However, flights are still operating in and out of the Italian lock-down area. These should be stopped immediately.
Stopping the flights now will only make sense if all the passengers who have arrived from these areas in the last 14 days are subjected to mandatory quarantine with regular spot checks and fines where necessary, MAM said.
Furthermore, there is a significant risk of passengers travelling to other parts of Italy to either board flights from those airports or to come to Malta by sea.
Adequate measures must be taken to ensure that spread is either stopped at source or immediately quarantined on arrival.
All passengers departing from Italy must prior to departure fill a mandatory declaration form about whether they have been in the lock down zone in the last 14 days.
MAM appealed to all those residing in Malta to take very seriously the advice of the Public Health Authorities and comply without exception. The Maltese population will remain safe if all of us behave responsibly in the common interest of society.