Health Minister tests positive for Covid-19 / Malta News Briefing – Thursday 31 March 2022

Health Minister tests Covid-19 positive

Health Minister Chris Fearne has tested positive for Covid-19. The minister announced his positivity to the virus on Facebook. He said that he did a swab test earlier today and it resulted to be positive.

Woman falls down cliffs at Għajn Tuffieħa

Civil Protection officers are currently conducting an operation to rescue a woman who fell off the clay cliffs between Għajn Tuffieħa and Gnejna. The CPD said the incident happened at 2.55pm.

Roof collapses on elderly man in Marsa

An 83-year-old man was hospitalised on Thursday after the roof of a residence in Marsa collapsed on him. The police said the accident happened in Triq Stiefnu Zerafa at 3pm.

Covid0-19 Update

New cases of COVID-19 rose to 760 on Thursday, up from 717 on Wednesday bringing the number of active cases to 5,540. On Wednesday, Professor Charmaine Gauci was reported saying that a more contagious sub-variant of Omicron is the most common COVID-19 strain on the island.

President Vella lays wreath at Freedom Day Monument

President of Malta George Vella participated in a wreath-laying ceremony on Thursday as party of yearly Freedom Day celebrations. Freedom Day marks the anniversary of the withdrawal of British troops and the Royal navy from Maltese shores in 1979. Minister Owen Bonnici represented the Prime Minister and PN MP David Agius represented the Opposition Leader, as both Robert Abela and Bernard Grech were absent from the ceremony.

Government has turned a new page – Abela

Robert Abela’s new cabinet shows government has “turned a new page” he said after he demoted several high profile former ministers, promoted others to bigger portfolios and brought in some new faces. He said the new Cabinet features “experience and new talent”. Among the high-fliers, Miriam Dalli gets a super-ministry with both energy and the environment, while Aaron Farrugia gets infrastructure and roads. The full list of appointments is available here. Abela also revealed that that two more women will be joining the Cabinet, once the casual elections take place and the gender corrective mechanism is applied. Six former Ministers have been left out this time round. [Times of Malta]

ADPD starts constitutional procedures

ADPD has filed a constitutional case in order to be granted a seat in parliament, saying that the party’s first count votes are being ignored.
“In a healthy democracy, every vote counts. All votes have an equal value. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Malta! We will defend the value of each vote. A vote cast for ADPD is equal in value to those cast in favour of the PLPN,” ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said in a press conference outside the law courts in Valletta on Wednesday. [Maltatoday]

Group calls on authorities to save migrants

A German humanitarian group appealed Wednesday for Malta to take in 32 migrants who were rescued off Libya this week by the Ukrainian captain of a container ship. The request came as Pope Francis, who is scheduled to visit Malta this weekend, encouraged the tiny European Union nation in the central Mediterranean Sea to welcome refugees in general. The migrants were rescued Monday by the crew of a German merchant vessel and transferred to the Sea-Eye 4, which is operated by the German non-governmental organization Sea-Eye. [The Malta Independent]