Updated 1745
Times of Malta reports that Chris Fearne has given details of the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out
MaltaToday reports that the first medical cannabis production licence has been issued
TVM reports that the Cabinet of Ministers approved an amendment to the National Holidays and Other Public Holidays Act, tabled by the Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Carmelo Abela
Newsbook reports that as of tomorrow, Tuesday 22 December, flights to and from the United Kingdom will be suspended.
Updated 1240 – Covid-19 Update
88 new cases of coronavirus cases were reported in the past 24 hours, while four more patients died, according to the Health Ministry. 137 persons recovered. 2,868 swab tests were carried out on Sunday.
Updated 1130 – Flights to UK suspended
Malta said Monday it was joining other countries in suspending all flights to and from Britain after the emergence of a new and more infectious strain of coronavirus.
The Maltese government announced that this will be effective from Tuesday 22 December. It added that this is a temporary decision and Maltese citizens, and residents are going be given the opportunity to return to Malta but subject to a PCR test and obligatory quarantine for 14 days.
A number of European nations among others have shut off travel ties to the UK after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a highly infectious new strain of the coronavirus was a danger to the country.
Updated 0900 – Newspaper Review
The Times picks up a reaction by Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar to reports that she is being chased to pay back some €46,000 after a property deal involving Yorgen Fenech fell through. Cutajar said that she had conducted herself correctly in the matter.
In-Nazzjon quotes PN Leader Bernard Grech who said that Junior Minister Rosianne Cutajar should step down after allegations of a financial transaction over the transfer of a property to businessman Yorgen Fenech.
L-Orizzont says that the Covid-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in Malta on Saturday 26, with the first inoculations starting the day after. Prime Minister Robert Abela said that development begins the road to normality.
The Independent quotes Primes Minister Robert Abela who said he looks forward to the final report by the Caruana Galizia public inquiry, adding that he will protect the process. Abela said the inquiry board should take the time needed without dragging its feet.
The Times reports that the European Court of Human Rights has ordered the government to return a parcel of land in Qajjenza to its original owners. The plot was expropriated in 2012 to develop an Enemalta facility but the project was abandoned after three months.
The Independent says that, in the third quarter this year, Malta registered the second-highest rate of asylum applicants in the EU, with 1,320 applications per million population. The highest rate was recorded in Cyprus.
L-Orizzont reports that the European Medicines Agency is expected to approve the first Covid-19 vaccine today, developed by Pfizer/BioNTech. Authorisation will only be given if the vaccine meets the EU’s strict criteria.
In-Nazzjon reports the death of three Covid-19 patients between Saturday and Sunday, raising the total number of casualties to 190. Two women aged 86 and 87 died at Mater Dei hospital while a 69-year-old-man died at Good Samaritan home.
Morning Briefing
Vaccinations will trigger road to normality – PM
Prime Minister Robert Abela expressed his convinction on Sunday that when vaccinations start being administered in a week’s time, the country will start on the road back to normality. Dr Abela appealed for national unity to enable the country to start recovering after the pandemic.
The Prime Minister stated that 27 December will stand out as an important day for the country, adding however that the pandemic will not disappear when the people start being vaccinated against Covid-19. Dr Abela appealed to the people to remain cautious and to continue following the health authorities’ instructions against the spread of the pandemic.
The Prime Minister stated that 40 million euro will have been distributed during this month, including through wage supplements to workers and in refunds. Dr Abela added that this will be followed by 50 million euro in vouchers being distributed to the people in January.
Inoculation will start on December 27, with healthcare workers and elderly home residents among the first to receive the vaccine.
PN calls for Cutajar’s sacking
Opposition and Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech said that he expected the Prime Minister to ask Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar to shoulder her political responsibility and resign, following reports in two Sunday papers that she had acted as a broker and allegedly had received money from Yorgen Fenech. Dr Grech added that in the event Rosianne Cutajar does not resign voluntarily, the Prime Minister should sack her.
The media had reported earlier in the day she had received 50,000 euro as brokerage fee on the sale of an Imdina property which was to be purchased by Yorgen Fenech, who is suspected of complicity in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Grech added that this had occurred when it was already known Fenech was the owner of 17 Black.
Cutajar denied the allegations through a legal letter.
Covid-19 Update
Malta registered 93 new coronavirus cases between Saturday and Sunday. 97 individuals have recovered.The Health Ministry has confirmed that three more people have died while positive for COVID-19. The first case was an 86-year-old woman, who tested positive on December 8, died yesterday at Mater Dei Hospital. The second victim was a 69-year-old man who tested positive on December 1. He died yesterday at the Good Samaritan Long-Term Care Facility. In the last case, an 87-year-old woman tested positive on December 15, and died yesterday at Mater Dei Hospital.
CDE News
