Hotels and restaurants in Malta were allowed to reopen for the first time last Friday following a two-month closure as part of a series of preventative measures taken against COVID-19, with MHRA President Tony Zahra remarking that the weekend’s outcome was: “Better than expected, but nothing exceptional.”

In comments given to The Malta Independent, Mr Zahra revealed that while business activity in the Sliema and St Julian’s areas was promising, establishments in other locations, amongst them Valletta, continued to suffer. However, the MHRA is not discouraged by this and noted that the capital city enjoys more popularity during weekdays rather than weekends.

Establishments in other locations across the islands reported varying results, with Mr Zahra referring to their collective experiences as a “mixed bag.”

Mr Zahra expressed cautious optimism following last weekend’s activity, which saw 340 restaurants across the Maltese islands certified fit to reopen by the Tourism Authority.

Judging from comments garnered from various MHRA members, Mr Zahra concluded that last weekend’s situation played out better than expected.