Updated 1240: Mid-Day Briefing
Covid-19 Update: 42 new cases were reported on Wednesday, while 36 recovered. The number of active cases stands at 687. The new cases were identified through 3,247 swab tests carried out on Tuesday. 36 patients remain hospitalised, three of them in intensive therapy.
Trips abroad drop by half: The number of Malta residents going abroad in the first six months amounted to 57,684, equivalent to around half of that in the same period last year according to NSO data published today. Malta restricted travel in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic reached Malta, reopening it in July of that year. Travel across Europe remained minimal over the past year, despite Malta officially restarting its tourism season in June 2021. In addition, total estimated outlay by resident tourists stood at €52.6 million, 35.3% lower than that recorded for the same period in 2020. Most outbound tourists were aged between 25 and 44 years (55.6%), followed by those within the 45-64 age bracket (24.1%).
School re-opening plans ready: Malta’s plan for the reopening of the scholastic year is set to be finalised and presented in the “coming days”, Education Minister Justyne Caruana said in reaction to complaints by the Opposition that no news was forthcoming in this regard. “In the coming days we will be organising an activity where we will give the full programme and all the details”, Caruana told The Malta Independent when asked whether the government had finalised plans for how schools will reopen this coming September. The plan is there; obviously it needs to be evaluated by the health superintendence, and then obviously once we have everything in place we will share all of the information public so that everyone is aware and prepared for how the reopening of schools will take place”, she said.
Updated 0854: Newspaper Review
Malta Today reports that Yorgen Fenech filed a judicial protest demanding an investigation into blogger Manuel Delia and lawyer Jason Azzopardi for allegedly piling pressure on a Judge while he was deliberating on a bail decree for the businessman.
The Independent questions the education minister about the re-opening of schools in September. Justyne Caruana said that a plan is in place and the government will present a finalised version in the coming days.
In-Nazzjon reports on a PN press conference urging the government to immediately publish guidelines for the new scholastic year. The spokesperson for education, Clyde Puli, said inaction is piling pressure on educators and parents.
The Times quotes the director-general of the Employers’ Association, Joseph Farrugia, that employees are prepared to accept lower pay to move from the private to the public sector. Farrugia said government jobs are perceived as more secure and less strenuous.
L-Orizzont reports that a man charged with attacking another man with a knife in Birkirkara on Sunday was granted bail against a series of conditions including a personal guarantee of 3,000 and the imposition of a curfew.
In-Nazzjon says that at least 230 nurses have resigned from Mater Dei since January, leaving wars understaffed. The nurses’ union said it is prepared to take industrial action if recruitment efforts are not stepped up.
The Times says that standing events will be allowed for vaccinated persons from September. The announcement follows a meeting between the Health Ministry and the Entertainment Industry and Arts Association.
The Independent says that standing events will allow a maximum audience of 100 at first and all attendees must be fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, seated events will allow up to 500 from the coming week.
L-Orizzont says that booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccine will start being administered to immunocompromised persons and residents of nursing homes from mid-September. Health Minister Chris Fearne said that the pandemic is at its worst phase globally.
Malta Today says that the rate of Covid-19 vaccination surpassed 90 per cent of the eligible population. The health minister announced on Tuesday that over 790,000 vaccines have been administered to people aged 12 and older.
In-Nazzjon quotes Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne that he will leave it to history to judge the 2019 Labour Party leadership race. He was being asked about comments by the previous Joseph Muscat who said his wife supported Fearne’s rival, Robert Abela.
Morning Briefing
Police Commissioner rejects argument that Schembri mobile phone contains relevant info
The Commissioner of Police has rejected Yorgen Fenech’s defence lawyers’ claims that the police are in possession of a complete mobile phone extraction relating to Keith Schembri, describing it as a “fishing expedition,” intended solely to drag out proceedings further. In a reply to a surprise court application filed by Fenech’s defence, in which it was claimed that data from Schembri’s missing mobile had somehow been extracted by the police, the Commissioner of Police put the onus of proving the claims on the defence. In their court application, Fenech’s lawyers said that the seized data was believed to have been “lost forever” and was essential to prove their client’s claims
PN calls out silence on school re-opening
The PN has called on Government to publish plans for school re-opening saying the silence on the matter was a “social injustice” to students, teachers and parents in Malta and Gozo. By not answering crucial questions, such as about obligatory attendance; quarantine measures; protocols for effect of examination results, Prime Minister Robert Abela is still “hiding” and not giving any “peace of mind” to students, teachers or parents, the PN’s said.
Covid-19 Update: There were 35 new cases reported on Tuesday. Malta registered 40 recoveries as active cases stood at 681. 3,440 swab tests were taken. Health Minister Chris Fearne said there are currently 37 people recovering from COVID-19 at Mater Dei Hospital with two receiving care in the ITU. A 65-year-old man died while positive to COVID-19.
CDE News
