Interior Minister Vela presents new measures on prevention of COVID-19 spread

Interior Minister Marcel Vela, in a press statement at the Interior Ministry (MAI) headquarters on Sunday, presented new measures meant to prevent and manage the COVID-19 epidemic spread, provided by Military Ordinance 4.

One of these measures clarifies the circulation of persons over 65, providing that they can solve their medical problems during the entire day.

Between 11,00hrs and 13,00hrs the people over 65 years of age are allowed to go out to get the necessary goods and food, and economic operators must facilitate their access in commercial spaces during this interval.

Also, people over 65 can also go out between 20,00hrs and 21,00hrs to ensure the needs of pets or domestic animals, without the need to fill in a sworn statement.

Another measure in Ordinance 4 provides that those who break the rules of home isolation will be placed in quarantine and will be forced to cover all the expenses.

Furthermore, the Interior Minister announced that prices for electricity, thermal energy, natural gas, water supply, sanitation and fuel cannot be increased over the level existing on the date of issuance of the current military ordinance. These prices can only go down, depending on offer and demand, they cannot be increased in any circumstance, Minister Vela highlighted.

Vela also announced new requirements for drivers of over 2.4 tonne trucks, pilots and navigating staff in the epidemic context, provided in Ordinance 4.

"Drivers entering the country, those who drive everything with a tonnage greater than 2.4 tonnes, have three options to protect their families and themselves, either the employer provides them with a place to isolate themselves, between trips, but not more than 14 days, or they make a statement that they isolate at home with their family or in another dwelling space they own, or the local authorities provide quarantine facilities on request to ensure the protection of the drivers' families (...), supporting the cost of accommodation in these hotel spaces," said Vela, adding that the same must be applied in the case of pilots and navigating crew.

Vela also announced that starting Tuesday, March 31, local public administration authorities will set up disinfectant devices at the entrance of all blocks of flats and will periodically carry out pest control activities on staircases, in lifts and other common spaces.

The Interior Minister also pointed out that the interdiction provided in Ordinance 3 on the movement of persons in a group larger than three is exclusively applied to pedestrian circulation.