Earlier today, Prime Minister Dr Robert Abela revealed that all legal notices related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Malta will be lifted as Malta removes its state of public health emergency, essentially opening the lid on the 75-person cap currently permitted in public gatherings.
Although not much information is known at this stage, there's one pressing question on everyone's lips is: Is wedding season back on? From what we can gather, it seems like it!
Weddings, which fall under the mass events category, have technically been given the green-light after wedding season was effectively cancelled earlier in the year as the Maltese Islands went under a semi-lockdown to contain the virus. Although social distancing regulations still apply in churches, masses have also started being carried out this week.
However, with the Prime Minister's earlier announcement, everything seems to have fallen in line for couples with a summer 2020 wedding date. A discussion erupted today on popular Facebook forum Wedding Talks - Malta, with brides desperately seeking answers for their drawn-out weddings, and it seems like there are several brides who are sticking to their original dates in late summer and early autumn despite the uncertainty of the situation.
The situation is decidedly more aggravating for couples with an early-to-mid-summer wedding, as most had already postponed their weddings to a later date. Some brides did mention they were reconsidering their options and thinking of shifting plans back to their original date, however this remains to be seen as the Prime Minister's official announcement is expected shortly, with more details to follow.
It is not yet clear whether the church will lift the maximum number of people of churches allowed into a church.
More updates will follow.