Malta backtracks on unvaccinated traveller ban by imposing quarantine rules

Malta has opted to water down its outright ban on unvaccinated travellers entering the country, as revealed by a legal notice regulating the change in travel rules just hours before those rules were set to come into effect.

The change comes after the European Commission decried Malta’s intention to ban unvaccinated travellers from entering the company as “discriminatory”.

The legal notice, published on Tuesday evening, states that unvaccinated arrivals from amber-list countries, including all EU states, are permitted to enter but must submit themselves “to a period of quarantine”.

Children aged under 12 who cannot take the vaccine for medical reasons have also been exempted from having to produce a certificate or quarantine. In such instances, they must show a negative PCR test taken no longer than 72 hours prior to arrival.

It is understood that those needing to undergo quarantine will do so at designated hotels at their own expense.

Unvaccinated travellers from Malta will also be subject to the same rules, however it does not apply to those who had booked their flights before the measure was announced last Friday.

Despite defending the decision to ban unvaccinated travellers to Malta at a press briefing on Tuesday, authorities appear to have taken note of the concerns raised by the European Commission.