Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1249395
2 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 20 MAY 2020 NEWS GOVERNMENT has lifted restrictions on beauticians, hairdressers and nail technicians. These outlets can now re-open from Friday, 22 May subject to conditions im- posed on them to maintain hygiene and social distancing. Health authorities yesterday afternoon clarified that hairdressing salons that have a water supply directly connected to the mains do not have to carry out water tests. Salons that are supplied through the mains will only need to open all taps for a few minutes to flush out the water system before reopening on Friday. Hairdressing outlets that use a rooftop water tank will need to clean the tank and flush the water system for a few minutes without the need to test the water. Hair salons and barbers • Maximum capacity of clients inside the salon at any 1 time is one person per 10sq.m, excluding staff • Perspex barriers should be fitted in reception areas (2m from the floor) • Workstations/styling chairs must be kept at a minimum distance of 2m from each other or separated by a Perspex barrier 2m high. Barriers must be cleaned properly after every client • Hand sanitizers must be made available at the reception area and near all workstations for employee and client use • Clients and suppliers must wear a mask, covering mouth, nose and chin or visor at all times unless instructed otherwise by the service provider due to the treatment process. • Staff should wear a surgical or cotton mask or visor when providing a service to a client • Shaving and restyling of beards is prohibited Beauticians • Maximum capacity of clients inside the salon at any one time is 1 person per 10sq.m, excluding staff. Allow only 1 client and 1 member of staff at any one time inside a shop/salon with a total area less than 10sq.m • Perspex barriers must be fitted in reception areas (2m from the floor) • Workstations must be kept at a minimum distance of 2m from each other or separated by a Perspex barrier which is 2m high. These barriers must be cleaned properly after every client • Hand sanitizers must be made available at the reception area and near all workstations for employee and client use • Clients and suppliers must wear a mask covering mouth, nose and chin or visor at all times unless instructed otherwise by the service provider due to the treatment process • Staff should wear a surgical or cotton mask or visor when providing a service to a client • Steam treatments/vapour generating techniques should not be used • Facials should not be carried out Nail Technicians and Nail Artists • Ensure that maximum capacity of clients inside the salon at any one time is 1 person per 10sq.m, excluding staff. Allow only 1 client and 1 member of staff at any one time inside a shop/salon with a total area less than 10sq.m • Perspex barriers are to be fitted in reception areas (2m from the floor) • Workstations/chairs must be kept at a minimum distance of 2m from each other unless separated by a Perspex barrier (2m high). These barriers must be cleaned properly after every client • A double Perspex barrier between client and service provider • Hand sanitizers must be made available at the reception area and near all workstations for employee and client use • Clients and suppliers must wear a mask or visor at all times unless instructed otherwise by the service provider due to the treatment process. • Staff should wear a surgical or cotton mask or visor when providing a service to a client. This is what cutting your hair or doing your nails will be like The conditions imposed on drive-in and outdoor cinemas and theatres Coronavirus MASSIMO COSTA RESTAURANTS and other establishments set to open later this week will be given a compliance cer- tificate if confirmed to be observing all COVID-19 protocols. The certification will be displayed outside their premises to show they are "safe" on COVID-19 pre- cautions. As of yesterday, restaurants, hotels, lidos and other licensed entities can carry out a self-assessment to determine if they are abiding by all coronavirus rules, and can subsequently contact the Malta Tourism Au- thority to request that their operations be inspected. If, following the inspections – which both MTA and health authority officials are being authorised to conduct – the establishments are found to be fully in compliance with the COVID-19 protocols, they will be issued a compliance badge. This badge will give customers peace of mind that the restaurants, hotels and the other operations con- cerned are safe to attend, Tourism Minister Julia Far- rugia Portelli said yesterday. She did not clearly indicate whether the compliance certificate will be obligatory to have for restaurants and other establishments, when questioned by the press. She expected hundreds of inspections to have al- ready been carried out by the end of the week, with the majority of establishments having been inspected within around two weeks. Restaurants to get compliance stickers KURT SANSONE THERE were 11 new cases of COV- ID-19 registered overnight from 1,519 swab tests, the public health authori- ties said yesterday. At the same time, four recoveries were registered with the number of active cases now running at 103. The information was published on the official Facebook page of the Health Department, Saħħa, after Pub- lic Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci yesterday announced that her daily bulletin will only be held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Malta has carried out 53,196 swab tests since the start of the pandemic in March, registering a total of 569 cases. 460 patients have recovered and six have died. Government announced on Mon- day the relaxation of more restric- tions from this Friday, allowing the re-opening of restaurants, hairdress- ers, beauticians, nail technicians and hotels for domestic tourism. The Medical Association of Malta (MAM) has expressed concern that it was not consulted on the transition measures for the health service an- nounced on Monday, and the subse- quent impact it will have on the health and safety of medical personnel. MAM said it would be asking for an urgent meeting with health author- ities, saying that while it appreciated the government's effort to gradual- ly relaunch the economy, it felt that the serious medical risks arising from such measures could only be prevent- ed by honest unbiased information and strict discipline on social distanc- ing, and hygiene as well as "vigorously enforced fines." "14 cases on Saturday are equiv- alent to 1,700 cases in Italy in a day. Furthermore, Mater Dei in the last 10 days faced the worst crisis since the start of the epidemic with three wards needing to be closed, and a record 287 persons on quarantine." The association said that these fig- ures were not being acknowledged, and that the government was giving the impression that all was well, which it said undermined the confidence of the general public. 11 new cases of COVID-19, 4 recoveries registered Prime Minister Robert Abela (centre) announced the relaxation of COVID-19 measures in a press conference with Deputy PM Chris Fearne and Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci Drive-in cinemas, outdoor cinemas and outdoor theatres • Patrons must be subjected to temperature checks at the entrance for the presence of fever • Provide adequate and easily accessible containers with an appropriate 70% alcohol hand-rub at the entrance of the premises and ensure that all persons sanitise their hands prior to entry • Regulated entrance and exit, adopting crowd management techniques as necessary • Indicate with visible markings outside and inside the premises 2m distances that patrons shall respect whilst queuing, including