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GSD: “Social Lockdown Should Be Extended”

The GSD have issued a statement calling for the social lockdown to be renewed for “at least another 10 days”.

A statement from the GSD follows below:

The lockdown should be renewed for at least another 10 days when it is up for review tomorrow. 

Leader of the Opposition Keith Azopardi said: “The reality is that numbers have still not stabilised. While there was a dip in the growth of new positive cases earlier this  week the numbers are back up and the daily growth is still significant. For example, the daily average of new positive  cases in the period 1-7 January was 102 and the daily average for the 8-13 January period was 84. The number of active  cases was 907 on 1 January and 1017 yesterday. Additionally, the number of total hospitalisations has grown from 20 on  1 January to 46 yesterday. Worryingly the cases in ERS have shot up from 9 on 1 January to 116 yesterday. Management  there needs to consider how the spread there has been so vast in such a small period despite the stringent controls in  place at ERS. 

The general growth in numbers in the community is likely to be a lag from social interaction during Christmas and New  Year and we would hope that with a further period of control numbers will come down. That should then allow the gradual  release of restrictions which we hope can happen as soon as possible towards the end of January. But it is first important  to bring these numbers down and get better control of the growing pressure on the health service.  

The fact that within a few days more than 5000 of the most vulnerable or exposed people in our community will have  been vaccinated will also play its part in leading to a programmed lift of restrictions (tempered with strong advice), the  opening of schools and some of the businesses forced to close. It emphasises the importance of Government procuring a  further shipment of vaccines as soon as possible. For now, however, the lockdown should continue in place. We are  grateful for the efforts of the health service and other essential workers during this period.”