Social media is rife with misinformation regarding Covid, ADPD – The Green Party insisted today. It is inevitable that a novel virus causes uncertainty, but there are some truths which must be emphasised.

“First of all Covid has created several ‘epidemics’ and tragedies in Malta – from the tragedy of untimely deaths, to long term effects on previously healthy young individuals, even those with minor infections, something which health professionals have told us they are personally witnessing. The just as serious epidemic of mental illness caused by social exclusion must also be taken into account in any measures related to Covid.”

“Here are a few home truths:

1. Vaccines work. According to research in the UK you are 60 times less likely to end up in intensive care with Covid if fully vaccinated than if you are not;
   
2. The science behind vaccinations is sound, it is the accessibility of vaccines in poor countries which remains a serious social justice issue;
   
3. Being vaccinated protects you from serious illness, but does not protect those not vaccinated from getting it from you and becoming seriously ill;
   
4. Criticism of the health authorities for not being able to handle the current surge is a joke. No health authority in the world is able to do it. We must support health authorities and all health professionals on this issue;
   
5. What the government is responsible for is the fact that it gave in to pressure from organisers of a massive party disguised as a conference for the privileged few. This surge started at the Sigma conference at the end of November. The surge may have been delayed if government had not pandered to the igaming industry. Thousands of people from all over the world in an industry notorious for being anti-vaxx and for partying, gravitated on Malta. No controls whatsoever were enforced. Government also preferred to mask people in the open air, yet let Paceville and other entertainment areas operate normally until it was too late. While some benefitted from Sigma, the rest of the economy suffered, not to mention the suffering of those who found themselves isolated from society;
   
6. At the same time, measures should be actively enforced in order to ensure that the current daily record of new cases is reversed as soon as possible. The number of cases on the small population of our island is equivalent to more cases in European countries such as France, Germany and the UK – with the added disadvantage of Malta’s high population density;
   
7. We should also be making this effort to salvage the jobs of workers in the tourism industry which this week received another hit by the US warning against travel to Malta. We will however continue to insist on a root and branch reform of this industry.”

ADPD – The Green Party also called on health authorities to continue monitoring international research with a view of further reducing the isolation period, for those who are fully vaccinated and do not present any symptoms. ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that quarantine reduction effective as from next Monday should ensure that essential services function without further depletion of their workforce.

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L-appoġġ lill-professjonisti tas-saħħa u r-riċerka jgħinuna noħorġu mill-pandemija

ADPD-The Green Party tinnota kif il-media soċjali hija miżgħuda b’informazzjoni żbaljata dwar il-Covid. Filwaqt li huwa inevitabbli li virus ġdid kellu joħloq ċertu inċertezza, hemm numru ta’ fatti li huma ta’ min jisħaq fuhom.

“L-ewwelnett il-Covid ħolqot numru ta’ ‘epidemiji’ u traġedji f’Malta – ibda mit-traġedja ta’ mwiet qabel iż-żmien, għall-effetti fit-tul fuq individwi ta’ età żgħira li qabel kienu jarmu s-saħħa, anke meta dawn ġew milquta b’mod ħafif – xi ħaġa li l-professjonisti fil-qasam tas-saħħa qegħdin jiltaqgħu magħha. Hemm ukoll l-epidemija daqstant serja ta’ mard mentali ikkawżat mill-esklużjoni soċjali li wkoll għandha tiġi kkunsidrati fi kwalunkwe miżuri relatati mal-Covid.”

“Dawn huma ftit fatti:

1. It-tilqima taħdem. Skond riċerka fir-Renju Unit għandek 60 darba inqas ċans li tispiċċa fil-kura intensiva jekk tkun imlaqqam milli jekk m’intix;
   
2. Ix-xjenza tat-tilqima hija waħda soda u kredibbli, imma n-nuqqas t’aċċess għat-tilqima fil-pajjiżi foqra qegħda toħloq inġustizzja soċjali;
   
3. Jekk tkun mlaqqam tipproteġi lilek innifsek minn mard serju, imma mhux lil dawk li mhux imlaqqma milli jinfettaw ruħhom mingħandek, lanqas ma jfisser li dawn ma jimirdux serjament;
   
4. Il-kritika lill-awtoritajiet tas-saħħa li ma jistgħux ilaħħqu maż-żieda fil-każijiet ta’ bħalissa mhix f’postha. L-ebda awtorità tas-saħħa fid-dinja ma tista’ tagħmel dan. Għalhekk għandna nuru l-appoġġ tagħna lill-awtorijiet tas-saħħa u lill-professjonisti f’dan il-qasam fuq din il-materja;
   
5. Madankollu, il-Gvern hu responsabbli għall-fatt li ċeda għall-pressjoni ta’ organizzaturi ta’ taparsi konferenza li kienet biss party massiv għal ftit privileġġjati. Iż-żieda fil-każijiet bdiet bil-konferenza Sigma fl-aħħar ta’ Novembru. Din iż-żieda setgħet bdiet aktar tard kieku il-Gvern ma waqax għal din il-pressjoni mill-industrija tal-igaming. Eluf ta’ persuni minn industrija mimlija nies kontra l-vaċċinazzjoni u li jħobbu l-parties mid-dinja kollha spiċċaw f’Malta. Ma kien hemm l-ebda kontrolli infurzati. Il-Gvern għamel il-maskri obbligatorji saħansitra fil-miftuħ, filwaqt li ħalla lil Paceville u postijiet ta’ divertiment oħra miftuħa b’mod normali sakemm kien tard wisq. Filwaqt li kien hemm xi wħud li gawdew mis-Sigma, il-kumplament tal-ekonomija batiet, biex ma jsemmux dawk li sfaw iżolati mis-soċjetà;
   
6. Fl-istess waqt hemm bżonn li l-miżuri ta’ mitigazzjoni jiġu nfurzati biex jassiguraw li n-numru ta’ każijiet ġodda rekord ta’ kuljum jiġu mnaqqsa. Ta’ min isemmi li dawn in-numru ta’ każijiet f’popolazzjoni żgħira ta’ Malta huma l-ekwivalent ta’ aktar każijiet minn pajjiżi Ewropej bħal ngħidu aħna Franza, il-Ġermanja jew ir-Renju Unit – bil-problema akbar tad-densità għolja tal-popolazzjoni f’pajjiżna;
   
7. Għandna nagħmlu ukoll sforz kbir li nħarsu x-xogħol tal-ħaddiema fl-industrija tat-turiżmu li din il-ġimgħa ħadet daqqa ta’ ħarta oħra meta l-iStati Uniti wissiet kontra vjaġġar lejn pajjiżna. Dan mingħajr ma nieqfu ninsistu għal riforma mill-qiegħ ta’ din l-industrija.”

ADPD – The Green Party tesiġi li l-awtoritajiet tas-saħħa jibqgħu jsegwu bir-reqqa l-istudji li qegħdin isiru globalment bil-għan li jitnaqqas aktar il-perjodu t’iżolament, għal dawk li ħadu t-tilqim kollu meħtieġ u li m’għandhomx sintomi.

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo qal li t-tnaqqis fiż-żmien tal-kwarantina minn nhar it-Tnejn għandu jassigura li servizzi essenzjali jkun jistgħu joperaw mingħajr aktar tnaqqis tal-ħaddiema.