Additional restrictive measures introduced in light of COVID-19 Author: Christina Scicluna Published on March 24, 2020 New additional restrictive measures have been announced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministry for Health during a press conference which was held on Sunday 22 March 2020, which measures shall be effective as from Monday 23rd March at 8:00am. The Government has issued the following Legal Notices which outline the additional restrictive measures. 1. Legal Notice 95 of 2020 provides for the closure of all non-essential retail outlets and outlets providing non-essential services. Non-essential retail outlets comprise of all shops whose principal business relates to the selling of the following items: • Clothing • Sportswear • Jewellery • Handbags and leather goods • Costume jewellery and accessories • Footwear • Non-prescription eyewear • Perfumeries • Beauty products • Haberdasheries • Soft furnishings • Souvenir shops • Discount stores • Luggage shops • Toy Shops • Hobby shops • Furniture shops • Florist and vaping shops 2. Outlets providing non-essential services include the following: • Hairdressers • Barbers • Beauticians • Spas • Nail artists • Nail technicians • Tattooists The above-mentioned measures apply to shops whether they are operating in shopping malls and/or elsewhere. These shops may however still sell and provide delivery services of their products within the community. Legal Notice 96 of 2020 provides for the enforcement relating to breaches of the above-mentioned measures. Any person who fails to abide by the relative provisions shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction, be liable to the payment of €3,000 for every time such person is in breach. In addition to the closure of non-essential retail outlets and outlets providing non-essential services, the Government has also issued Legal Notice 101 of 2020 relating to the suspension of all organised events, including all cultural, recreational, entertainment, sporting and religious events and exhibitions in public or private places. This suspension shall also apply to all events and exhibitions held inside places which are subject to closure in accordance with previously announced measures. Any person who fails to abide by the provisions relating to the suspension of organised events shall also be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction be liable to the payment of €3,000 for every breach. The additional restrictive measures introduced are intended to safeguard the health of the general public and limit the strain on national health services. Go back