Gibraltar Chief Minister wants to avoid any future lockdown

Gibraltar Chief Minister wants to avoid any future lockdown as figures of Covid-19 infection increase considerably.

On November 16, popular yet not always accurate online Russian newscaster RT News published an article referring to Gibraltar and saying “Most Vaccinated place on earth cancels Christmas.”

There is no question that the number of cases of infection have increased quite significantly and the Government there has decided to cancel the Three Kings Cavalcade (traditionally held on January 6) and the turning on of the annual Festival of Lights is to be broadcast online.

The Gibraltar Health Authority has issued advice to people wanting to hold parties or gatherings and recommends that these are held outdoors with sensible social distancing but at this stage no private events are being banned.

A spokesman for the Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation told Euro Weekly News that whilst the incidence of infection has risen, there are nowhere near the number of cases recorded at the height of infection last year and that there are just two people in hospital wards and one in the ICU.

Despite this, reports have been received that at least one gaming company on the Rock has instructed staff to work from home until after Christmas although other companies continue to operate as normal with some staff in the office and some continuing to work from home.

It has to be remembered that although a very high proportion of Gibraltarians have been vaccinated, there is no legal obligation for them to receive the vaccine and this writer knows three people who declined the vaccine and subsequently caught Covid-19 but recovered quickly after isolating at home.

It is argued that one of the main sources of infection are visitors arriving across the land border and flying into the Rock although currently of the 564 known active cases, just 14 are visitors.

Today, November 18, the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo who himself although vaccinated caught Covid in the UK said: “We want to avoid having to provide for any lockdown in the coming weeks and months.

“To do that, we need the support of each member of the community. We really need to see people following guidance and in particular we need people to take up the offer of the Booster Jab as soon as they are offered it.

“Here although cases are rising, hospitalisations are currently low. We need to keep it that way, but if numbers continue to rise exponentially, we may see numbers in hospital grow too.

“I genuinely believe these are the last throes of the pandemic, but it will not be over completely for some time now and we cannot relax completely until then. I therefore implore the public to follow the advice from Public Health Gibraltar.”

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