Court dismisses attempt to stop Monday's new COVID rules coming into force
A group of 17 entertainment businesses and their employees on Sunday asked a court to block new COVID-19 regulations that come into force on Monday. But Madam Justice Miriam Hayman dismissed the request for a provisional warrant of prohibitory injunction and decided to hear the merits of the case on Friday, meaning that the new COVID rules will not be stopped until at least then. According to the new rules, a vaccine certificate will be required to enter a number of catering and entertainment establishments, including bars and nightclubs, restaurants, cinemas and gyms among several others. The rules also require frontline staff, those dealing with clients, to be fully vaccinated. Contacted on Sunday, lawyer Arthur Azzopardi who is among the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, told Times of Malta that his clients fear they would have to let staff go once the rules come into force. Declining to reveal the identity of his clients “for fear of reprisal”, Azzopardi said some two dozen other business owners had already expressed their interest to join the fight. The other lawyers are Keith Borg, Eric Micallef Figallo, Clive Gerada and Franco Debono. The court action comes...