MHRA: restrictive economic measures will not bring success, calls for adequately resourced authorities

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) issued a statement to “reiterate” that the relevant authorities must be adequately resourced and instructed to ensure that the rules related to COVID-19 and licences are enforced across the board on an equal standing.

The MHRA was reacting to the latest COVID measures, which will see restaurants close at 11pm for the month of February, while holiday accommodation will not be permitted to have more persons gathered than the number of beds.

Should an accommodation be able to sleep 10 persons, this is the maximum number of people allowed to gather inside at any one time.

“The hotels and restaurants are already paying a hefty price due to the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic so it is important that Government focuses concrete action to ensure those betraying collective responsibility efforts are penalized as otherwise all the sacrifices borne by law abiding operators and citizens will serve for nothing. “

The MHRA said it consistently supports reasonable measures which aim to ensure a balanced approach to the protection of lives and livelihoods and remains positive that as the roll out of the vaccine keeps progressing according to plan then the economy will kickstart again in the near future.

“The MHRA however insists that the critical success factor to win over this pandemic does not rest in how many social and economic restrictive measures are set, but rather on the efficiency and effectiveness of enforcement efforts to ensure that the basic measures are borne equally by all. 

“Only in this way those suffering today will start seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, sooner rather than later.”