Dr Ivan Muscat said he was ‘pleased’ with the uptake of boosters so far, but has called on Islanders to ‘do more’ when adhering to the government’s Covid guidance in order to ensure an ‘enjoyable Christmas’.
He added that guidance on working from home and turning mask-wearing from a recommendation to a requirement could be introduced if the number of patients in hospital with Covid-19 caused disruption to the Island’s health system.
This week, Covid cases rose to more than 1,000, while the number of direct contacts exceeded 10,000.
As of 14 November, 25,233 booster jabs had been administered to Islanders, with 83% of those aged 80 and above having received their third injection.
Almost 75,000 second doses have also been given. In total, 88% of the eligible population have received their first dose and 86% have been fully vaccinated.
Dr Muscat (pictured, right) said: ‘I am pleased with the number of people coming forward to get their booster jabs. They are now recommended for ages 40-49 and this is imminent. We are going to open it up to that age group as soon as we can do so operationally. We are in the same boat as the UK and we want to do it as soon as possible.
He added: ‘Last Christmas we had a 5% hospitalisation rate, but we had no vaccination roll-out. This year we are better protected because the vaccination has made a huge difference to the significance of Covid.
‘If the number of hospitalisations increase, and it puts a burden on our health service, then we could introduce working from home and make mask-wearing a requirement.
‘We want to use measures which cause as little disruption as possible so that we can stay as open as possible while keeping people safe.’
Dr Muscat said that Islanders needed to ‘utilise the tools given to them’ to ensure a ‘normal’ and ‘enjoyable Christmas’.
He added: ‘Vaccination is the best way to combat Covid. But no single tool is enough. As an island, we can always do more and I would encourage people to follow all the guidance in place.
‘That includes mask-wearing and taking regular lateral-flow tests.
‘We need to appreciate that we are entering winter and so
must change from a summer to a winter stance.’
