Last weekend, Gozo was yet again struck by a long wave of power cuts, with some localities facing 20 hours of no power in the sweltering heat.

Some of the biggest concerns by businesses and residents alike were the amount of waste that would be generated, as many locals had to throw away food.

Others’ main concerns included having important medicine that needed refrigeration thrown away.

For that reason, the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz Management, in Gozo, offered a helping hand to any families that needed immediate refrigeration for treatment.

Speaking to WhosWho.mt about the situation, Janice Baldacchino, Owner and Director of Baldacchino Group, the company behind the Kempinski San Lawrenz Hotel, says that, fortunately, “all residents found the help of each other’s families.”

Commenting on the most recent power cut, Ms Baldacchino notes that while the hotel is backed by a generator, “some issues still arose.”

She remarks that while having a generator ensured continued service, “the operation of a hotel of this scale is not meant to be powered by a generator. Often this leads to other issues that one has to face.”

Ms Baldacchino noted that there were instances throughout the night where the power was coming and going for a few minutes leading the generator to believe that the power was back. This has subsequently led the generator to stop its power temporarily. 

“Although it was only a period of 15 minutes or so, it is still rather inconvenient,” Ms Baldacchino concludes.

The extensive power cuts in Gozo have affected many residents and business owners. San Lawrenz Mayor Noel Formosa highlighted this reality on his Facebook page, remarking that this was a “huge injustice.”

Social media image: Kempinski Hotel / Facebook