PM is unfair when he blames migrants for COVID-19 spike, MAM says

The Medical Association of Malta (MAM) said it is very disappointed that the Prime Minister has blamed migrants for the sudden spike of COVID-19 cases.

On Monday evening, Prime Minister Robert Abela said during a One TV interview that the number of Coronavirus cases increased mainly because a number of the immigrants who were rescued. Speaking about the Coronavirus pandemic, Abela remarked that “almost half of the people who are positive for COVID-19 are migrants who are not in the community but are being kept in isolation. This was done to safeguard the lives of Maltese and Gozitan citizens.”

Reacting, the MAM said that it is most unfair to cover up his fault by blaming migrants. “Allowing mass events like parties against the expert advice of the superintendent was the only cause of this spike as migrants have been quarantined immediately as they remained in detention.”

“The European centre for disease control data does not include migrant data,” MAM said.

During his speech on Monday evening, Abela stressed the importance of finding a balance between health and the economy, stating that the situation is “completely under control.”

“It is important to highlight the fact that the majority of people who are infected are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms,” he said.

Abela added that, “since we do not have a vaccine just yet, we need to learn how to live with this situation, however, the necessary decisions will be taken because people’s health remains a priority.”

Asked on the immigration crisis, PM Abela remarked that “there is no complete solution to this problem.”

He said that “this is not a problem we are facing for the first time, however, this year it is felt more because of COVID-19 in our country.”

PM Abela recalled when, in the midst of the pandemic, he went to Libya to address this problem before, and that “I, the Brigadier, and the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Malta ended up under investigation after stopping a number of immigrants from entering.”

“We have done a lot of work to address this sensitive problem, but we have a lot more to do.”

Abela further explained the difficult decision he sometimes would face, even in the middle of the night, where he would have to decide to either let people drown and be responsible for their death, or to rescue them.

“Although I understand how people are feeling and what they are saying regarding this matter, I ask the public to understand that saving lives should be the decision we take in these extraordinary circumstances because this is not a problem I can completely solve,” Abela said.