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MaltaToday 18 November 2020 MIDWEEK

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7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 18 NOVEMBER 2020 NEWS 'Over optimistic sound bites created false sense of security" – leading paediatrician COVID-19 PAUL COCKS VODAFONE Malta has rebranded itself as epic, completing the changeover that started when the company was bought out by Monaco Telecom earlier this year. The rebranding was unveiled on Tuesday with Epic vowing to offer Malta the best state of the art connectivity and great val- ue without compromise. The company will continue offering the same services but will be investing heavily to ensure it remains Malta's top telecoms operator, Epic CEO Tamas Banyai said. He added that following the acquisi- tion by Monaco Telecom seven months ago, the company joined Europe's fast- est-growing telecoms family. "We felt we could offer our customers better value across our network… We knew we had to make it right and we are making it right as of today," he said. Epic will be offering cheaper unlimited mobile plans, with unlimited data, voice and sms, reduced to €24.99. The new plans will not have a lock-in contract and no penalties will be incurred if the customer switches plan. And for an additional €3.99 monthly, customers will receive a free mobile phone. On top-up plans, customers will receive double the value of voice and data for €9.99. Epic will also be introducing new busi- ness unlimited plans. "As Vodafone, the company was proud to have the best network and infrastruc- ture. Now, as epic, we are going to bring great value to Malta," Banyai said. Epic replaces Vodafone Malta Epic CEO Tamas Banyai JAMES DEBONO MALTA'S COVID-19 experi- ence is a lesson on "firstly, how to manage a pandemic well and, subsequently, how to unmanage the very same pandemic," lead- ing paediatrician Simon Attard Montalto denounced in a strongly worded editorial penned on the Malta Medical Journal. Although the second wave of COVID19 was expected and "probably inevitable", this was ag- gravated by an 'over-eager' wind- ing down, "over-optimistic sound bites ensuring a false sense of secu- rity" and "downright irresponsible actions allowing and even encour- aging 'uncontrolled' mass events." The article does not refer to any statement made by any particular politician or business lobby. But it was Prime Minister Robert Abela who in May downplayed risks of a second wave declaring, "waves are found in the sea, there's no need to strike up public fear of a second wave." In contrast to the loss of control since August Attard Montalto praises Malta's approach during the first months of the pandem- ic noting that it was hailed as the 'best model' in pandemic manage- ment, "with a strict policy of track, trace and isolate cases". According to Montalto this was only made possible thanks to the support given to Malta's Health Authority by the Ministry and Division of Health, which "effi- ciently and effectively mobilised front-liners including the police, and a frightened but compli- ant population". This formula worked, "bringing the local pan- demic under tight control within a two-month period". The editorial also squarely blames mass gatherings, for en- suring that the virus was once again released into the general population after being practically eliminated after the first wave. "Unquestionably, it has been mass gatherings ranging from family parties to day-long events that have ensured that the virus has been released into the general population". This has ensured that the R fac- tor remains steadily above 1 with the second wave now considera- bly greater "both in absolute num- bers and duration than the first". Fears of second tsunami after the opening the national airport did not materialise, since this was and remains "reasonably well con- trolled". Similarly, although the influx of COVID 19-positive migrants has increased absolute case numbers, "this has had no impact on the subsequent dispersal of the virus as all these individuals have been corralled immediately on arrival". But as a result of mass gatherings and a false sense of security "Malta has plummeted towards the bot- tom of Europe's pandemic activity status, and is on most countries 'with caution' list for travel pur- poses". Of greater concern for Attard Montalto, there is presently "lit- tle evidence of the situation eas- ing, and the increasing mean age of infected persons including the spread of the virus into care homes with access to the ex- tremely vulnerable, will result in a steady escalation in COVID-relat- ed deaths." Attard Montalto warns that it is now very difficult to retrieve the situation and this can only be achieved through stringent Public Health measures, "backed up with an effective and safe vaccine". On a global level the bitter les- son from COVID management was that those countries led "by self-acclaimed 'champions' who belittled the pandemic and adopt- ed a 'gung-ho' attitude, promptly condemned their countries to the worst statistics on the entire plan- et". The pandemic has also shown very clearly that the 'gentle' ap- proach of allowing for natural herd immunity to develop does not work, noting that countries adopting this approach have fared worse in terms of absolute num- bers of COVID 19 infections and mortality. "Politicians are simply not trained to manage a pandemic and should (humbly) seek and take the advice of those who are". In a strongly worded editorial penned for the Malta Medical Journal, leading paediatrician Simon Attard Montalto draws contrasts between the "best model" management of the pandemic during the first wave with the mismanagement of the second wave Paediatrician Simon Attard Montalto

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