Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci has appealed with event organisers to cooperate in full with the authorities who will be carrying out inspections to ensure that all social distancing guidelines are being followed.

In addition to measures announced earlier this week dictating a one person per four square metre rule, the Government this morning announced that gatherings will have a cap of 100 persons indoors, and 300 persons outdoors.

Therefore, even if a venue can take 1,000 people under the one person per four square metre rule, they must still limit attendance to 300 for outdoors and 100 for indoors.

Dancefloors have also been banned, as Prof Gauci stressed it is not possible to ensure social distancing in such scenarios.

Prof Gauci reminded organisers of their obligation to have a risk assessment approved for events of over 100 persons, and to have groups of people of no more than 10. The groups of people must also socially distance.

She suggested that for areas where social distancing is not possible, such as entrance-ways and exits at venues, masks are worn until patrons enter the event.

Under a legal notice issued earlier this week, event organisers are liable to a €3,000 fine for every social distancing breach recorded.

Malta currently has 311 active cases of the virus, with 49 recorded over the past 24 hours.