At the start of the pandemic, Prof. Charmaine Gauci used to address the nation on a daily basis and give an update on Malta’s COVID-19 situation. As active cases were brought to low numbers, her daily televised updates stopped, but once the country saw a spike, the Superintendent returned once a week on a Friday. Considering Malta now has 591 cases are registered an all-time record of active cases in one day (106), should Prof. Gauci’s daily updates return to our screens?

Local activist group Civil Society Network (CSN) released a statement, appealing for her updates to be brought back. “CSN appeals for the reinstatement of the daily televised updates to the general public by the Superintendent of Public Health Prof Charmaine Gauci. CSN is of the opinion that the lack of timely, accurate information is allowing the general public to relax their infection restrictive measures, adopting a laissez-faire attitude to the pandemic, resulting in a dramatic increase of new Covid-19 positive cases. Lack of timely, accurate information is inhibiting public from making informed decisions.”

They shared the statement “following today's record-breaking number of new Covid-19 positive cases” saying that the organisation “feels that the current situation is not acceptable and that our citizen's health and safety are being seriously compromised.”

Apart from this, CSN has also appealed for:

1. A government response to public demand for better performance in the face of rising cases.

2. Police to start disbanding groups of people and to issue fines for not complying with social distancing regulations.

3. Mandatory swabbing for all arrivals into Malta whether by air or by sea.

4. The publication of the effected workplaces so that all clients can go and get swabbed. This is currently being done with retail outlets, but not in offices. A meeting in an enclosed boardroom will still spread the infection.

5. Mandatory temperature checking in all public places, as well as private places that are open to the public.

6. Student attendance to be on alternate weeks only thereby splitting classes by half, as well as handwritten work to be submitted electronically.

“In an emergency situation, it is of the opinion that it is better if children’s education is slowed down to keep pace with the current emergency, rather than stopped completely. Children should be given time to catch up on their studies once this pandemic is over. Our nation’s safety and health is paramount.”