No holidays in Malta for the unvaccinated. Faced with the increase in Covid cases, Malta closes the borders to tourists who have not had the vaccine. The Minister of Health, Chris Fearne, has in fact announced that from next July 14 it will be mandatory to enter the country to present a vaccination document. Children traveling with their parents will need to submit the results of a negative molecular test. Malta is the first European country that requires compulsory vaccination to enter the country.
Until now the Maltese authorities required vaccination documents only from British citizens while allowing entry to EU citizens not vaccinated with negative swabs. The new crackdown on entrances was decided after Malta registered 96 new infections, with a doubling of the number of cases for the fourth consecutive day.
The new directive also provides for the drastic measure of the temporary closure, again from next Wednesday, of the English schools that attract thousands of children to the island every summer. It was among the students of these schools that several outbreaks are occurring.
Malta has the highest vaccination rate in Europe, with 79% of adults fully vaccinated and 84% of those vaccinated with one dose. Despite the increase in the number of cases, only three patients are currently hospitalized, the minister said, stressing that this is further proof of the vaccine’s effectiveness.