Coronavirus maltese doctors protest over msc opera cruise ship

You're referring to the recent controversy surrounding the MS Opera cruise ship and the Maltese doctors' protest.

To recap, the MS Opera cruise ship, which was carrying over 1,000 passengers and crew members, docked in Malta on March 10, 2020, after being turned away by several other European ports due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. The ship had reported several cases of coronavirus among its passengers and crew, and the Maltese authorities had been informed of the situation.

However, the Maltese doctors' association, the Malta Medical Association (MMA), expressed concerns over the handling of the situation, citing a lack of transparency and inadequate measures to prevent the spread of the virus. The MMA claimed that the ship's passengers and crew were not properly screened or isolated, and that the authorities had not taken sufficient measures to protect the local population.

On March 12, 2020, a group of Maltese doctors, led by the MMA, staged a protest outside the Grand Harbour in Valletta, where the MS Opera was docked, to express their concerns and demand better handling of the situation. The protest was peaceful, but it highlighted the tensions and concerns among the medical community and the general public over the handling of the crisis.

The Maltese government and the authorities eventually took steps to address the concerns, including increasing the number of medical personnel on the ship, setting up a quarantine area, and providing additional resources to support the response. The MS Opera eventually departed Malta on March 14, 2020, after all passengers and crew members had been disembarked and taken to quarantine facilities.

The incident highlighted the challenges and complexities of responding to a global pandemic, and the need for effective communication, coordination, and cooperation between governments, healthcare professionals, and the public.