Standing events to grace Malta’s cultural scene at last with 100-person gatherings from 6th September

Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne has confirmed that after consultation with the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Lobby (MEIA), standing events may commence from 6th September with a maximum capacity of 100 fully vaccinated persons.

At an unrelated press conference on Tuesday morning, Minister Fearne spoke about the resumption of events thanks to the pandemic situation being under control. He said Malta managed to vaccinate a record 90 per cent of the population who are eligible for the jab. He said that currently, COVID- related hospital numbers stand at 37 with the absolute majority being unvaccinated.

Mr Fearne also announced that from 13th September, Government will be offering a booster shot of the COVID vaccine to those people considered to be immunocompromised, such as people being treated for cancer or persons with HIV.

Standing events have not been permitted in Malta since the summer of 2020, with event organisers and promoters repeatedly being told that they will be able to operate in 2021 once the vaccine programme ramps up. Despite Malta consistently registering high vaccination rates throughout the year, authorities continued to delay the resumption of standing events.

As those in the events scene eye 6th September, organisers will need to adhere to protocols - which cannot come soon enough in view of the tight timeframes.