Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1225368
2 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 25 MARCH 2020 NEWS Coronavirus MASSIMO COSTA THE first case of coronavirus in Malta was confirmed on 7 March. In the weeks since, the government put in place a se- ries of measures, progressively escalating in scope, in a bid to halt the transmission of Covid-19. The measures have ranged from man- datory quarantine for all visitors to Malta, to the banning of flights, the complete shutdown of schools and the closure of the law courts and restau- rants. The below is a run-down of the meas- ures which the government and other authorities ordered to halt the virus' spread: 12 March – Church services suspended One of the first measures to be put in place was the suspension of all masses, in a decision taken by the Church. From 12 March, all religious functions were suspended, including Sunday mass and children's catechism lessons. 13 March – Schools' closure, mandatory quarantine for all visitors to Malta Following mounting pressure from the Opposition, teachers' unions and edu- cational institutions, the government ordered all schools, including the uni- versity and MCAST, to shut down from 13 March. Child care centres were also ordered to close. The measure was initially put in place for a one-week period, but was later ex- tended till 17 April, although the date can be pushed further into the future. On the same day, the government im- posed a 14-day mandatory quarantine for all visitors arriving to Malta by air or sea. The mandatory quarantine had in the days previous been imposed first for all visitors coming from Italy, and then extended to those coming from France, Germany, Switzerland and Spain, be- fore coming to apply from 13 March to all travellers to the island, regardless of where they came from. 14 March – Bereg closed Bereġ (government clinics) were or- dered to close from 14 March. Local tri- bunal sittings were also deferred until further notice. 16 March – Law courts shut down Starting from 16 March, the law courts were also closed. All law court proceed- ings were suspended, except for any ur- gent cases or where the court decides otherwise. 17 March – Several establishments order to close As coronavirus cases continued in- creasing, the restaurant issued a wider order for the closure of several types of establishments, including restaurants, bars and cinemas. The below is a full list of establishments ordered to close: • Bars • Restaurants • Cafeterias • Snack bars • Cinemas • Gymnasiums • Museums • Exhibitions • Clubs • Discotheques • Night clubs • Open-air markets except those selling food • Indoor swimming pools • The national swimming pool • Gaming premises including con- trolled gaming premises, bingo halls, casinos, gaming parlours, lotto booths and betting shops 21 March – Blanket ban on flights Starting from 21 March, all air and sea travel to Malta was suspended. The measure followed a ban on all flights from Italy on 10 March, and on flights from France, Germany, Switzerland and Spain on 11 March. 23 March – Public gatherings prohibit- ed, more closures From 23 March, all organised pub- lic gatherings and meetings were pro- hibited. This rule had been preceded by a more lenient measure taken ear- lier in the course of the pandemic, on 10 March, when mass outdoor events of more than 2,000 people and indoor events with over 750 attendees were banned. The government also ordered the closure of all outlets which provided non-essential goods and services, such as clothes shops and hairdressers. The below is a full list of outlets ordered to close: • Clothing • Sportswear • Jewellery • Hand bags and leather goods • Costume jewellery and accessories • Footwear • Non-prescription eyewear • Perfumeries • Beauty products • Haberdasheries • Soft furnishings • Household appliances • Souvenir shops • Discount stores • Luggage shops • Toy shops • Hobby shops • Furniture • Florists and vaping shops • Hairdressers • Barbers • Beauticians • Spas • Nail artists • Nail technicians • Tattooists Shops and services such as supermar- kets, grocers and green grocers, banks, pet shops and post offices were not in- cluded under the new rules and remain open to date. From closed schools to ban on flights: the government's Covid-19 measures KURT SANSONE BREACHING your quarantine will cost you a whopping €10,000 fine, as government ups the restrictive meas- ures to curb the spread of coronavi- rus. The Legal Notice introducing the new higher fine was published on Monday evening as law enforcement officials fined four more people who were not at home despite being or- dered to remain in quarantine. Police officers, officials from the Environmental Health Directorate and the Civil Protection Depart- ment have carried out hundreds of spot-checks on individuals who are in quarantine at home to ensure that the orders are being obeyed. The officers are also carrying out spot-checks on outlets to ensure that they adhere to the relevant re- strictive legislation. Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci has been harping on the importance of social dis- tancing and that people obey or- ders and instructions given by the health authorities as the country tries to contain the spread of COV- ID-19. Breach of quarantine fine increased to €10,000