Updated 1300 – Covid-19 Update
Health authorities reported 121 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, while 144 patients recovered. This lowers the number of active cases to 1,856. Saturday’s new cases were detected from 3,033 swab tests carried out over the past 24 hours, meaning just under 4% of tests carried out that day resulted in positive results.
Malta has seen a total of 11,101 cases with 166 fatalities.
Wage supplement to be given to artists
Entertainment artists, companies, employees and those self-employed in the entertainment industry will be receiving a whole wages supplement backdated to November.
Although the performing arts sector has not completely stopped and mass gathering had a negative impact on performers, artists have not been able to perform in productions and exhibitions. On the removal of restrictions in June 2020 performers started to receive a wages supplement under Annex C (€600 monthly).
President appeals for support to those who lost their job
President of Malta George Vella appalead for the business community to come together to support those who, lost their job because of the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Let us continue to work together, as a united country, so that all those who lost their job can find employment as soon as possible, find their place back in the work force, and enjoy once again the dignity that work gives”.
Updated 0900 Newspaper review
The Times says that a judge has blocked planned industrial actions by the union of nurses in cases where they could put patients’ lives at risk. Other directives at Mater Dei can go ahead, meaning that eight of twelve operating theatres cannot be used.
The Independent follows the summit of EU leaders where governments agreed on the bloc’s long-term budget. The €1.8 trillion package was in jeopardy after veto threats by Poland and Hungary over new mechanisms linking funds to rule-of-law assurances.
L-Orizzont reports that the court has provisionally upheld a warrant of injunction filed by the General Workers Union to stop the sacking of 300 employees by NetEnt. The mass layoffs came after the company was bought out by another gaming company.
In-Nazzjon quotes Opposition spokesperson for youth Robert Cutajar who said that young people are an important element in society. The Nationalist Party presented new proposals for the National Youth Policy.
L-Orizzont says that EU leaders have reached a deal on environmental targets, committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent until the end of the decade. EU Council president Charles Michel hailed the ‘historic’ agreement.
The Times quotes Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci who warned families to tone down gatherings this Christmas and restrict lunches only to immediate members at their own households.
The Independent reports on the testimony of Auditor General Charles Deguara in the Caruana Galizia public inquiry. He said that a probe by the National Audit Office revealed collusion on the hospitals deal between the government and the investors behind Vitals Healthcare.
In-Nazzjon reports on the inauguration of a Christmas tree by the Għajnsielem local council dedicated to the victims of Covid-19. The 60-foot tall tree is made of a metal frame filled with more than 4,500 recycled glass bottles.
Morning Briefing
Court holds NetEnt redundancies
NetEnt has been stopped from implementing its redundancy plan, after uphoding an injunction requested by the General Workers Union.
The Union had filed the request after NetEnt announced the laying off of arround 300 workers. The plan appeared to be related to a €2 billion takeover by Evolution Gaming Group.
That unexpected move had prompted the Union to register an industrial dispute with both gaming companies, claiming that they were breaching the law on collective redundancies.
The union complained that NetEnt had failed to notify and consult it in terms of European and local law protecting employment in a collective redundancy scenario. It also charged the company and its new owner Evolution Gaming with a wholesale breach of EU transfer of undertakings rules.
18 days for anti-Covid approval
EU Regulators are expected to approve the anti-Covid vaccine within the next 18 days. At the end of the Brussels EU Summit, Prime Minister Robert Abela, speaking on the national broadcaster, expressed his satisfaction for this process which he said is important for the country to return to normality. During the same Summit, important agreement was achieved on climate change and the EU Budget for the coming seven years with the PM saying that once more Malta has shown its value at European level by being a catalyst for the conclusions achieved.
Commenting to TVM, the PM said the vaccine is expected to be approved over the next 18 days. He said this is a light in an epoch of darkness and after discussions on the date, the important one was fixed as being 29th December, after which the rollout of the vaccine will commence.
Malta has registered 96 new coronavirus cases on Friday, while 87 recovered. The infections were detected after the health authorities carried out 2840 swab tests. 1879 cases remain active. In her weekly press conference, Health Superintendent Prof Charmaine Gauci said that the figures show the number of new cases are decreasing, with a seven-day moving average of 98.
CBM revises growth projections downwards
In view of current developments related to the coronavirus pandemic, the Central Bank of Malta has revised its growth projections for Malta downwards. In a study published today, the Bank said that it expects Malta’s gross domestic product (GDP) to contract by 7.5% this year, and subsequently to grow by 5.9% in 2021, by 4.4% in 2022, and by 4.2% in 2023.
The downward revision of the Bank’s forecasts reflects the re-introduction of containment measures and renewed signs of deterioration in business sentiment, which are expected to dampen the global economic recovery in the near term. Nonetheless, the Bank expects 2019 GDP levels to be re-attained and exceeded in 2022, conditional on the successful rollout of a vaccine in 2021.
CDE News
