A local stakeholder in the business community has called out the Malta Hotel and Restaurants Association (MHRA) for its lobbying efforts to have COVID-19 travel restrictions lifted and for the economy to be jump-started at the earliest.

Malta is currently experiencing the so-called ‘second wave,’ with the number of active cases exceeding 400, up from a low of three active cases in mid-July.

Prior to travel restrictions being lifted in July, MHRA President Tony Zahra proclaimed that advice against reopening due to the pandemic was “Project Fear” while also ridiculing previous predictions of high mortality rates and hospital-bed occupancy.

While Malta’s COVID death-rate remained low, nine so far out of over 1,000 total cases, the resurgence of active cases following Malta’s ports reopening without restrictions as well as permitting of mass gatherings has angered the general public, both from a health perspective and an economic perspective.

The Government has recently capped gatherings at 300 outdoors and 100 indoors as well as a one person per four square metre rule, with the public allowed to gather at events in clusters of 10. Each group must be kept at a distance.

Mr Zahra has since incensed the public when he was quoted by The Malta Independent as saying that in hindsight, the authorities may have opened up gatherings and the associated restrictions too soon.

Jonathan Shaw, who currently leads Coaching Minds Limited - a company offering executive coaching services – and is also a Director at SiGMA, the world’s largest iGaming festival, took to social media to call out the “self-centred” MHRA.

“Albeit acting as if they do run the country, they have over the years grossly directed decisions to fulfil their interests. They did this with both political parties, both administrations and always been a self-centred lobby group,” Mr Shaw wrote.

“Case in point the Covid-19 vouchers. In principle it is a good initiative, but why should €80 out of the pack of €100 be solely dedicated to restaurants and hotels? This is pure discrimination to other businesses and sectors that are also suffering from reduced business. Yet, no one challenges this because it is a free handout!”

Arguing from an economic viewpoint, Mr Shaw stressed that measures taken need to make sense in the long-term.

“What happened lately was all wrong short-term knee-jerk decisions instigated by sector driven agendas.”

He concluded by suggesting the need for all incoming travellers to present a negative COVID-19 test certificate at least 48 hours before arrival.