“We will be the first country in Europe to take this step,” Maltese Health Minister Chris Fearne claimed. This Friday, the smallest country in the European Union, Malta, announced the closure of its borders to unvaccinated travelers, hoping to stem an upsurge in new cases of Covid-19.
“From Wednesday 14 July, anyone arriving in Malta must present a recognized vaccination certificate: a Maltese certificate, a British certificate or a European Union certificate”, detailed Chris Fearne, during a conference of hurry.
The PCR test “will no longer suffice”
Since June 1, tourists were welcome again on its territory, the condition being to present a negative test for Covid when boarding a plane to Malta. “A PCR test will no longer suffice,” said the minister, except for minors under 12 accompanied by their parents.
The small Mediterranean island of 500,000 inhabitants boasts of being the most vaccinated country in the EU, with 79% of the adult population having received two doses of serum. On June 27, she had not registered any new cases but on Friday health authorities identified 96, 90% of which were unvaccinated.
A large number of cases have been detected during language trips and English schools, which attract students from all over the world each year, will close as of July 14 as well.