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MALTATODAY 29 March 2020

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4 MASSIMO COSTA THE lockdown conditions for vulnerable persons and those aged over 65 were revised with- in the space of a day to ensure they would be sustainable in the long-term, Deputy PM and Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Saturday. Fearne was speaking just 24 hours after government changed its lockdown measures announced earlier this week for over-65s, claiming the scale- back would allow people to ad- here to the new conditions for as long as was necessary. On Thursday, Fearne an- nounced that anyone over 65, together with those suffering from certain chronic condi- tions, could not leave their homes in order to avoid catch- ing COVID-19. Fearne had said that anyone living under the same roof as the persons in these categories should also not leave their home. The next day, however, Prime Minister Robert Abela back- tracked on part of the measures, saying those living in the same home as over 65s and vulner- able people could leave their home to go to work, do their shopping and carry out other necessities. Fearne defended the move, saying the coronavirus had pre- sented a situation which no- body has ever dealt with before. "It may be that we have to fine-tune some measures since we are writing the rulebook for something new," he said, speak- ing from the Gozo General Hospital. He said that although Cabinet had at first agreed on the line of measures announced on Thurs- day, it had met again the next day and made some changes. "These changes were done not because we don't have the re- quired resources or because we could not agree on them, but be- cause when you have measures which affect almost 120,000 people, which are being put in place for the first time ever, and which in some other countries may have not worked... then it is okay that we make changes from day to day to ensure they are more effective and that people will follow them in the longer term," he said. Fearne also said that the World Health Organisation had commended Malta as an example of best practices other countries should follow, during a meeting of health ministers. PAUL COCKS OPPOSITION leader Adrian Delia has claimed government is being reactive to COVID-19 events, failing to provide safe- guards for worker and prevent hundreds of lay-offs and com- pany closures. "The government was forced to introduce three econom- ic packages in a matter of days because after the first two pack- ages were announced, even the social partners criticised the measures introduced," he said. "And although the third pack- age went further than the first two, it too provided assistance to a mere 60,000 out of over 160,000 workers in Malta." Delia said many more will be lost if government delays further in providing blanket assistance to all workers and self-employed. "The govern- ment should already have in place plans to implement in three weeks' and three months' time. Instead it is obvious the government is merely reacting to events and pressure." Thanking health workers on the COVID-19 frontline and other workers supplying essen- tial services, Delia said it was worrying to see local transmis- sions of the coronavirus picking up. "If government had imme- diately heeded numerous calls to stop incoming flights from abroad, we would now not find ourselves in this stage," he said. Delia and PN MP Jason Azzo- pardi criticised a call for tenders for a prefabricated hospital to house and treat coronavirus pa- tients. "We reached this point because Vitals and Steward Health Care did not do what the maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 MARCH 2020 CORONAVIRUS CRISIS Health minister Chris Fearne (left) at the Gozo General Hospital with COO Dr Nadine Delicata (right) CALL FOR QUOTATIONS FOR THE SUPPLY OF SILVER PLATES COMPLETE WITH PRESENTATION GIFT BOX TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, PARLIAMENT OF MALTA (Ref. HR/66/20) The House of Representatives is seeking quotations for the design, manufacture and supply of 20 high-quality Silver Plates complete with a Presentation Gift box. The dimensions of each Silver Plate are as follows: 19cm in diameter with the official coat-of-arms of the Parliament of Malta and an inscription engraved, and the weight being not less than 100 grams. Each Silver Plate is to be supplied with a Presentation Gift Box preferably, in dark green or black in colour. Interested persons may obtain copy of the tendering document either by calling at the Finance and Administration Office, House of Representatives, Parliament of Malta, Freedon Square, Valletta VLT 1010 (Tel. 25596222/3) or download the document from the website of the House of Representatives https://www.parlament.mt. Quotations are to be received by not later than Friday, 17 April 2020 at 12.00h (noon). Friday, 27 March 2020 Delia attacks 'reactive' Labour Prefab hospital costly alternative for Steward millions 'We're writing the rulebook as we go along' Delia: Follow health authorities' advice, not PM's

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