A Maltese man who phoned Mater Dei’s Coronavirus helpline to ask if it was still OK to eat Chinese food has unhesitatingly ordered takeaway pizza for dinner.
Michael Vella, 39, from Qormi, ordered a Capricciosa last night from Scherzo trattoria in Valletta – which is run by Italians – after he came home from work and didn’t feel like cooking.
“I know takeaway pizza on a Monday is a bit decadent, but you only live once, and Scherzo’s pizza is authentically Italian and delicious,” said Vella – who swore off Chinese food despite Mater Dei telling him there was no risk of infection.
Asked if he was similarly concerned about catching the virus from Italian food, given that more than 200 cases have been confirmed in the country, Vella said:
“Of course not. That’s silly. Why would I be worried? The guys at Scherzo haven’t been home to Italy in months, and they aren’t from the affected areas.”
Also, even though all the ingredients are shipped from Italy, it’s highly unlikely that the virus can spread that way. I’m not one for fear-mongering.”
Vella added that he had taken to covering his mouth and holding his breath whenever he passed by Chinese or any other Asian-looking tourists in Valletta.
“You can never be too careful – it’s purely a precautionary measure. There’s no racist undertones at all,” he said, adding that when one of the Scherzo employees arrived with his pizza last night, he hugged and kissed him Italian style.
