Measures taken by the Maltese authorities in relation to COVID-19 – Part XI

by , on Jun 11, 2020 12:21:04 PM

Our lawyers are actively following all the measures which are being put in place from time to time by the Maltese authorities in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in Malta. These measures are taking effect by means of various Legal Notices, each of which is explained hereunder.

Relaxation of various preventive measures

L.N. 228 of 2020 – Suspension of Organised Events (Amendment No. 2) Order (03/06/2020)

This Legal Notice is intended to amend L.N. 101 of 2020 entitled “Suspension of Organised Events Order, 2020”, as amended by L.N. 205 of 2020, which ordered the suspension of all organised events, including all cultural, recreational, entertainment, sporting and religious events and exhibitions in public or private places .

 Effectively, this amendment brings ‘all organised events, including all cultural, recreational, entertainment, sporting and religious events and exhibitions in public or private places’ out of the scope of the order for the suspension of organised events, leaving only ‘organised contact sport’ as the only event which is suspended.

Moreover, the Superintendent of Public Health may, at her own discretion, grant exemptions to the above, subject to measures which she may impose.

This amendment came into effect as from the 20th of May 2020.

 L.N. 229 of 2020 – Closure of Schools (Amendment) Order (03/06/2020)

 This Legal Notice is intended to revise the schools falling within the scope of L.N. 41 of 2020 entitled “Closure of Schools Order, 2020”, as amended by L.N. 77 of 2020, in that “childcare centres” and “ELT schools” are allowed to open as from the 5^th of June 2020. The order for closure of schools is still applicable to the following schools:

• kindergarten centres;
• Colleges;
• Sixth Forms/Higher Secondaries;
• the University of Malta;
• other tertiary educational institutions;
• further and higher educational institution.

 L.N. 230 of 2020 – Closure of the Courts of Justice (Repeal) Order (03/06/2020)

This Legal Notice is intended to repeal L.N. 65 of 2020 entitled “Closure of Courts of Justice Order, 2020”, as amended, as from the 5^th of June 2020.

Notwithstanding the repeal, any time limits for the filing of any acts before a court following the conclusion of any proceedings before any Tribunal, board, commission, committee or other entity which does not operate from a building of the Courts of Justice which were suspended before the coming into force of this Legal Notice, shall remain so suspended for twenty (20) days from the 5^th of June 2020.

Moreover, any time limits for the filing of any acts before a court or other tribunal, board, commission, committee or other entity which operates from the building of the Courts of Justice which were suspended before the coming into force of this Legal Notice, shall remain so suspended for seven (7) days from the 5^th of June 2020.

L.N. 231 of 2020 – Enforcement of the order relating to the number of persons in Public Spaces (Amendment No. 2) (03/06/2020) 

This Legal Notice is intended to amend L.N. 113 of 2019 entitled “Enforcement of the order relating to the Number of Persons in Public Spaces Regulations, 2020”, as amended by L.N. 174 of 2020, which was previously applicable to groups of more than four (4) persons.

This amendment is intended to make L.N. 233 of 2020 entitled “Number of Persons in Public Spaces (Amendment) Order, 2020” applicable to groups of more than seventy-five (75) persons, within this scope of enforcement as from the 5^th of June 2020.

Therefore, any person who fails to abide by such prohibition shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to the payment of a penalty of one hundred Euro (€100) for each and every occasion that such order is breached.

L.N. 232 of 2020 – Repealing Regulations (03/06/2020)

This Legal Notice is intended to repeal various orders and regulations issued by the Superintendent of Public Health under the Public Health Act (Cap. 465) as from the 5^th of June 2020, namely.

465. L. 465.21 – Closure of Places Open to the Public Order;
466. L. 465. 24 – Enforcement of the Order relating to Closure of Places Open to the Public Regulations;
467. L. 465.27 – Closure of Non-Essential Retail Outlets and Outlets Providing Non-essential Services Order;
468. L. 465.28 – Enforcement of the order relating to Closure of Non-Essential Retail Outlets and Outlets Providing Non-Essential Services Regulations;
469. L. 465.33 – Protection of Vulnerable Persons Order;
470. L. 465.41 – Number of Persons in Public Spaces (Increase in Number of Persons) Order; and
471. L. 465.38. – Closure of the Local Tribunals Order.

 Any legal, judicial or administrative time-limit for the filing of any acts before the local tribunals, which were previously suspended by virtue of the above, shall remain so suspended for a period of twenty (20) days from the 5^th of June 2020.

L.N. 233 of 2020 – Number of Persons in Public Spaces (Amendment) Order (03/06/2020)

This Legal Notice is intended to increase the number of persons in any open outdoor space accessible to members of the general public established by L.N. 112 of 2019 entitled “Number of Persons in Public Spaces Order, 2020”, as amended by L.N. 173 and 208 of 2020, to groups of not more than seventy five (75) persons as of the 5^th of June 2020.

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• Topics:
• COVID-19