Many restaurant owners will be reopening their doors “reluctantly” on May 10 because they know that the imposed 5pm closing time means they will not earn enough to cover the costs.
“Will I open on May 10? I have no choice. Does it make sense? Definitely not,” Kevin Attard, a director of Fresco’s cafe and restaurant and Giorgio’s cafe, both in Sliema, said.
Restaurants were ordered to close in the beginning of March when the number of COVID-19 cases surged. On Sunday, Prime Minister Robert Abela said that, as restrictions are eased, restaurants and snack bars will be allowed to reopen on May 10 but they have to close by 5pm.
As Malta enters a second shutdown, there is the inevitable feeling of
déjà vu in the air: the closure of non-essential shops and schools means the country is in a very similar situation to a year ago.
This time, however, the fear for some is “more real”.
Josephine Mascari
“We’re back to where we were last March. Only, this time, there is more fear as there have been so many cases and many people have died,” widow Josephine Mascari, 75, said.
After an unprecedented 510 new cases of the virus were reported early on Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced new restrictions.
In March we were all suddenly catapulted into a world of social distancing, facemasks, quarantine, self-isolation, swab tests and lockdowns. The coronavirus pandemic impacted us all. Sarah Carabott and Claudia Calleja spoke to 19 people, from various backgrounds, to shed light on their experience with COVID-19.
John and Marisa Zammit - Grandparents One grandchild celebrated his first birthday at home alone with his parents – we could not all be there, which was sad.
Read the full story here.
Charmaine Gauci – Superintendent of Public Health
Charmaine Gauci – Superintendent of Public Health The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into reality what the world feared most – a virus which could spread so fast across the globe with an impact on everybody’s lives.