Mid-Day Briefing
Political activist claims local doctor selling vaccine passports
A British political activist has alleged on Twitter that people in Malta are buying vaccine passports from a doctor for €500 each.
The police are understood to be investigating a tweet by Tabby Westwood who said that she was “very concerned to find out some members of my own family in Malta have managed to buy vaccine passes for €500 so they’re able to travel freely without actually being vaccinated.
“They’re willing to risk the lives of other people and members of their family?” The University of Kent student told The Times of Malta that she had been told of unvaccinated relatives in Malta who had bought the vaccine passports from a doctor to avoid having to quarantine following a Christmas holiday. (Times of Malta)
Staff shortages, mafia, restricting flow of Indians wanting to work in Malta
Staff shortages in Malta’s High Commission in India, as well as a ‘mafia’ of private middlemen controlling the flow of visa applicants in India, have resulted in huge delays in visa processing for people wanting to come to work in Malta, Maltatoday reports. People trying to book an appointment directly at the High Commission to process a visa application are now being told that no one can see them before April 2022 at the earliest, the report added. (Maltatoday)
No online lessons for quarantined students:
Children who are missing school because they are in quarantine are not being given online lessons, Newsbook says. Education Minister Justyne Caruana said last week that despite cases of Covid-19 in schools, the rate is not alarming. Parents said they are very angry that their children are not being given the education they are entitled to while they are in their homes observing quarantine. Parents said quarantine is not out of choice and that it is not fair for their children to be denied learning and allowed to fall behind. Some of these children are in quarantine because they have been in contact with Covid-19 in the schools themselves
Covid-19 Update: 87 new cases of coronavirus were reported on Wednesday, while 61 recovered. The active case tally moves up to 1363, with 26 people in hospital, four of whom in ITU.
Morning Briefing
Children Covid-19 vaccine to reach Malta in coming days – Fearne
Malta will receive its first consignment of the children’s COVID-19 vaccine in the coming days, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced. Addressing an EU Council of Ministers meeting, Fearne described the booster dose as crucial to overcome the current phase of the pandemic.
“The decision to start administering the COVID-19 vaccine booster early seems to have been a wise decision. Today, other European countries are doing the same.” The Deputy PM also told his counterparts that Malta delivering one of the largest amounts of vaccines per capita to their countries.
Final vote on cannabis pushed to next week
Parliament will take the final vote on the cannabis reform Bill next week after the Opposition called for a division during the Third Reading presented today. The new legislation will allow the possession of up to 7g of cannabis and the growing of four plants at home. It also provides for regulated clubs from where cannabis can be sold to registered members. Meanwhile, Church organisations, NGOs and lobby groups opposed to easing cannabis laws have filed a petition to parliament, in a last-ditch attempt to stop a reform bill from becoming law in its current form. The petition, signed by 44 organisations, former president Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and eight other individuals, calls on MPs to make a number of changes to the Bill.
Covid-19 Update: A total of 86 new daily cases were reported on Tuesday while 63 people recovered. 22 people are being treated in hospital, 3 of whom are in the ITU.
