Updated 1745 – Newsportal Review
TVM reports that the Health Ministry has confirmed 40 additional cases who tested positive to COVID-19 today. The total number of active cases as of this time is at 699.
MaltaToday says that Malta Producers’ Association has decried the lack of consultation over the rebranding of a film fund by the government, saying that its proposals to help the domestic industry diversify were ignored.
Times of Malta reports that the tourism minister explained how the four international festivals that were cancelled due to COVID-19 fears had been classified as “low risk” by a World Health Organisation matrix.
The Malta Independent says that the sister of one of two men who were murdered in Sliema on Tuesday and her two sons were staying in the same house but luckily were still out when the shooting took place. No arrests have been made yet.
Newsbook reports that over 82,000 people in Malta are at-risk-of-poverty, according to EU data. The ARP rate currently stands at 17.1%, 0.3 percentage points higher than that recorded for the previous year.
NET News says A large group of immigrants are currently awaiting a decision from the government regarding their disembarkment; whether to be kept at the Detention Centre or kept on a ship.
ONE News reports Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms Rosianne Cutajar announced the new members for the LGBTIQ+ Consultative Council. The LGBTIQ+ Consultative Council is responsible in giving advice, putting proposals forward and assisting the Human Rights Directorate in drafting laws surrounding the LGBTIQ+ community.
Updated 1235 – Covid Cases
There were 40 new Coronavirus cases, following 3,030 swab tests carried in the previous 24 hours. The total of active cases is 699 as 18 recovered.
This information was released by the Health Ministry in its daily update.
Updated 0823 – Newspaper Review
Business Today quotes Developers Association president Sandro Chetcuti who said that the second Covid-19 wave is more difficult for the construction and property industries. The association is drafting proposals for the government to support operators in the sector.
The Malta Business Weekly reports that Finland has introduced travel restrictions to a number of countries including Malta. The Finnish government had previously announced that it would ban travel from countries that exceed eight Covid-19 cases per 100,000.
The Independent quotes a police spokesperson who said that investigators are appealing for information on the double murder in Slime on Tuesday night. The autopsy on the bodies will be conducted today.
The Times reports that CCTV footage shows three people entering the house of Christian Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski in Sliema on Tuesday night, before fleeing in a white car four minutes later. The police said they have not yet established a motive for the murders.
In-Nazzjon follows the case of the double murder in Sliema in which six gunshots were fired leaving a banker and an arts trader killed. The paper says that police do not believe that this was a robbery.
L-Orizzont follows the compilation of evidence against Salvu Dalli who stands accused of killing his son Antoine earlier this month. The suspect said he never intended to kill Antoine but shot him in an act of self-defence.
The Independent says that operators in the weddings sector have experienced a series of cancellations in reservations and a sharp drop in general business following the latest safety measures introduced by the government.
Business Today reports that confidence in the retail sector fell to a historic low in June and trade decreased by more than eight percent from the previous year. Compared to May, however, activity showed signs of recovery.
The Malta Business Weekly says that Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli is promoting a video on social media to welcome the filming of Jurassic World in Malta. The minister said that rebates offered to producers will translate into thousands of jobs.
The Times carries an interview with Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli who dismissed calls for resignation and said that the Tourism Authority does not have responsibility for private parties that sparked a cluster of Covid-19 cases in summer.
L-Orizzont speaks to Hotels and Restaurants Association president Tony Zahra who said that the voucher system was more successful than expected and helped to boost business. He suggested a similar scheme for Christmastime.
In-Nazzjon quotes PN leader Adrian Delia who criticised the decision by the Broadcasting Authority to censor questions by journalists on national television. Delia said that media blackouts are not an adequate response to media impartiality.
Morning Briefing
Police on lookout for three suspects in Sliema murder
The police are looking for three suspects who were seen escaping from a house in Sliema following the fatal shooting of Christian Pandolfino, 58, and Ivor Maciejowski, 30.
A spokesperson for the police said that there was no clear motive behind the killing, with CCTV cameras establishing that the three men spent a mere four minutes inside the Sliema home.
“We have yet to establish a motive but we are not excluding anything at this stage,” the spokesperson said during a conference on yesterday.
Coronavirus in Malta
48 new Covid-19 Cases were registered in Malta in the previous 24 hours. There were 18 persons who recovered. In the previous hours there were a total of 2,261 new swab tests.
18 other persons have recovered.
Meanwhile, the spike in cases continued to have its repercussions on the Maltese economy with Finland the latest country to announce restrictions on travelers from Malta, while the movie production company Universal has decided not to shoot any scenes involving main actors from the new blockbuster of the Jurassic World series in Malta.
A study published by Politico looked at the relationship between the number of tests conducted and new cases found across Europe shows that while countries like Luxembourg, Denmark and Malta carry the highest number of daily tests per 1,000 , Denmark and Malta have the lowest rate of positive tests.
Retail trade, industrial production down, but jobs up in June – CBM
In June, the volume of retail trade and industrial production contracted again in annual terms, though at a slower pace when compared with May. In its monthly Economic Update, the Central Bank of Malta said that the number of registered unemployed and the unemployment rate fell when compared with a month earlier, with the latter remaining low from a historical perspective.
The annual inflation rate based on the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) edged up to 1.0% in June, from 0.9% in May, while inflation based on the Retail Price Index (RPI) stood unchanged at 0.7%.
Maltese residents’ deposits expanded by an annual rate of 7.6% over the
year to June, while annual growth in credit to Maltese residents eased to 8.8%. In June, the deficit on the cash-based Consolidated Fund widened significantly compared with a year earlier, reflecting a significant increase in government expenditure and, to a lesser extent, a drop in revenue.
CDE News
