The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) is calling upon Government to reopen Restaurants including restaurants in hotels which are not even permitted to serve breakfast, on Monday 26th April same as non-essential shops.
Restaurants have been amongst the worst economic victims of the COVID-19 pandemic and after a very long tough year we are all looking ahead for the reopening of the restaurants on the 26 April and the tourism market on 1st June 2021.
MHRA acknowledges that managing the re-opening of the Restaurants is critical to ensure that there are no spikes of COVID-19 related infections. However, MHRA asserts that restaurant owners have reached a point where they cannot wait any longer as their situation has become dire.
MHRA President Tony Zahra said that, “Operating a restaurant involves a lot of overheads, and these are not just employee wages. Many restaurant owners are reaching a breaking point waiting as to what is going to happen with their and their employee’s livelihoods. We now need a clear plan so that we all know where we stand and therefore can prepare our operations for what is an already very difficult situation.”
MHRA is also lobbying the Health Authorities so that employees working in the tourism sector will, as critical economic front liners, be all vaccinated before the re-opening of the tourism market on the 1st of June 2021. This is important not only because it re-enforces the message that Malta is a safe destination but also will strategically ensure that any risks of extraordinary exposure to COVID-19 infections are effectively managed whilst ensuring the wellbeing of all those involved.