Health authorities relax rules for larger events / Malta News Briefing – Saturday 3 July 2021

Updated 1245 – Covid-19 Update

Active coronavirus in Malta continued their slightly upward trajectory this week with seven new cases reported on Saturday. With just three recoveries, active cases have not reached 56.

330,000 persons are now considered to have been fully vaccinated.

Updated 1145 – Larger events to be allowed, guests to be seated in bubbles

Authorities have relaxed rules for social events, allowing larger maximum capacities, as long as separate “bubbles” of attendees are created. These will be allowed from next week, and will cater for fully vaccinated people. The events have to be seated. For the time being, events have been capped at 100 people. This will be double by August 2nd. The entertainment sector said that such numbers are too low to ensure financial feasiblity.Staff and spectators or attendees in each bubble will not be able to mingle or interact with those in a different bubble, and the number of attendees in each bubble depends on the size of each area: no more than one person for every four square metres of space will be allowed.

Morning Briefing

Rosianne Cutajar guilty of breaking ethics in property deal

An investigation into a property deal involving Yorgen Fenech has found Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar guilty of breacheing parliamentary ethics standards.
Commissioner for Standards in Public Life George Hyzler presented a copy of his investigation into the claims to parliamentary speaker Anġlu Farrugia.
The matter will now be taken up before parliament’s committee for standards in public life, which must decide when the report is made public.

Visiting hours to elderly homes extended

As of today, visiting hours when it comes elderly care homes will be extended. Elderly can now have up to two visitors in the room, as long as both the visitors and the elderly are fully vaccinated. Mask wearing when visiting will remain mandatory, while in two weeks time, the elderly will be allowed to go out on their own.

42,000 use fast ferry in first month

42,000 passengers have used the fast ferry service between Malta and Gozo in its first month of operations, using 1,086 trips.Transport Minister Ian Borg said that we are seeing that transport, continues to improve so that we can continue achieving more successes like today. More than 42,000 people have already used this service, which means that more than 42,000 tickets have already been sold. It is therefore clear that the fast ferry project is contributing very effectively to our country’s economic recovery. It is also worth mentioning how the fast ferry project not only focuses on sea transport but also incorporates many other services in favour of more mobility. It is worth mentioning the additional new routes, including route 300, which travels between the fast ferry terminal and the University and Mater Dei, and route X133, which offers a trip from the Valletta Bus Terminus to the Fast Ferry.”

Covid-19 Update: Six new cases of coronavirus were reported on Friday, while for the fourth time this week, no patients recovered. 2,717 swab tests were carried out yesterday. Active cases now stand at 52.

CDE News