The Government says the Leader of the Opposition's recent comments on the decision to prevent visits to the elderly and the sick from persons who are unvaccinated are “irresponsible”.

A statement from the Government follows below:

The Government has a sacred duty to protect in-patients in the GHA and residents in ERS in particular at this time of a global pandemic. 

The Opposition must understand that the decision to prevent visits to the elderly and the sick from persons who are unvaccinated is based on clinical and public health considerations. The Government has no other interest. 

In this context, the latest comments from the Leader of the Opposition are down right irresponsible. Mr Azopardi should know better than to set himself up as some kind of expertin these matters. This is far too serious an issue to be manipulated in this manner by someone playing to the gallery or trying to be all things to all men. 

It is absolutely true that everyone is entitled to freely choose whether they wish to be vaccinated or not. That is why vaccination against COVID-19 is not mandatory in Gibraltar. However, it is obvious from the global reaction to the success of our vaccination programme that other nations and individuals would be only too pleased to be where Gibraltar is today. 

In the same way as citizens have a right to refuse vaccination, patients and residents in Government facilities have a right to be protected against the virus with the tightest measures that are available at this time. This is all the more important when the persons concerned are precisely the sick or the elderly and therefore more at risk. 

Gibraltar has sadly lost 94 lives already to this terrible disease. We do not want to lose any more. It is tragic that the Opposition should again play politics with the most vulnerable.