Update – 1800 – The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry called on teachers and all state, church and independent schools to keep on adhering to the strict health protocols introduced at the beginning of this scholastic year and allow the Health Authorities to give guidance in accordance with medical evidence.
The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry reiterated its declared position in August and September that it was crucial for schools to remain open during this scholastic year. The experience of the first term has proved that schools are well equipped to implement social distancing, and the educational experience was a success.
The Malta Chamber acknowledges the Public Health Authorities statements in saying that there is no scientific-based evidence which shows that schools should remain closed or be shifted to obligatory virtual schooling. The Malta Chamber said that such decision would wreak havoc not only for schools and teachers themselves but more importantly, it will have long-lasting impacts on the students due to a lack of interaction with their peers and the continued pressure on working parents to stay at home leaving some economic sectors without their essential human resources at a time when the economy can least afford more interruptions.
Update 1645 – The Malta Union of Teachers announced that it was summoned for a meeting with the Prime Minister on Thursday. The announcement was done on Facebook.
The Malta Union of Teachers declared today’s strike to be a success, and will now be calling on health and educational authorities to analyse the situation of the pandemic so that educators can return to physical learning with all measures included.
Times of Malta reports that there were scenes of confusion met the few pupils who turned up at government schools on Thursday, after they opened despite a teachers’ strike. Many parents appeared to have kept their children at home but some turned up after Education Minister Justyne Caruana posted on social media that schools were reopening as usual. Others were turned away at the gates by security or headteachers saying “there are no teachers here”.
Interviewed on Newsbook.com.mt Minister Fearne said that closure of schools would be the last restrictive measure only if forced to, and doesn’t exclude taking more restrictive measures in the coming days or weeks.
Update 1600h –
A judge has ordered that pertinent recordings of phone calls made by Melvin Theuma are to be exhibited amongst other new evidence in the compilation of evidence against the three men accused of carrying out the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. MaltaToday
Updated 1212 – Malta registers 228th Covid-19 fatality
164 new COVID-19 cases were reported by the Health Ministry on Thursday, with 73 recovering. These were identified from 2806 swabs. 1935 cases remain active.
A 74-year-old COVID-19 patient became Malta’s 228th fatality in Malta. The man had tested positive on the 20th December and passed away early this morning.
Updated 1130 – Full-time employment increases
In May 2020, registered full-time employment increased by 6.7 per cent while part-time employment as a primary job decreased by 8.6 per cent when compared to the corresponding month in 2019. This was revealed by the NSO today.
The number of persons registered as full-time self-employed rose by 2,523 when compared to May 2019, while the number of persons registered as employees increased by 11,924. Full-time employment for males and females went up by 6.3 per cent and 7.3 per cent respectively over 2019 levels.
Most teachers, students stay at home
Timesofmalta.com reports that scenes of confusion met the few pupils who turned up at government schools this morning, after they opened despite a teachers’ strike. It is understood that most parents kept their children at home. However, Education Minister Justyne Caruana insisted on social media that schools were re-opening as usual. As a result, some children turned up to school, with some of them finding the gates closed.
The Malta Union of Teachers ordered a two day strike after the Government refused its demand to have online lessons today and Friday. Independent and Church schools opted for the online option accordingly.
Business lobby groups welcome wage subsidy reforms
A number of leading business lobby groups welcomed the recently-announced wage subsidy reforms which introduced a tiered system for the supplement based on businesses’ VAT returns by comparing 2019 and 2020 results.
The general reaction was that the new scheme reflected fairness across the board as it is based on a more holistic system wherein those who need the most help will be better recognized, while those businesses that actually did better during the pandemic will not receive the supplement.
Malta Chamber President David Xuereb recalled that the Chamber had already brought up the argument on helping businesses depending on how badly the pandemic was affecting that particular business: “Now it is no longer about having long arguments over which sectors belong in which Annex; it is a true measure of performance which we are pleased with.”
This position was echoed by MHRA President Tony Zahra, who added: “at the end of the day, assistance should be provided to those who need it the most.”
SME Chamber Abigail Mamo said that the new scheme is a positive change as it shows that Malta has learned from and improved on previous experiences: “However, the devil is in the detail which can only be seen in practice and our members have some uncertainties as to how it will be implemented and how it will impact them. But there have not been any bad reactions.”
Updated 0900 – Newspaper Review
Business Today reports that the Chamber of Commerce held an urgent meeting with parliamentary secretary Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi to seek clarifications on the effects of the EU-UK trade agreement on businesses in Malta.
The Malta Business Weekly publishes an interview with British High Commissioner Cathy Ward who said that the free trade agreement between the EU and the UK provides a ‘stable foundation’ for the financial services sector.
L-Orizzont says that the Union of Teachers announced a two-day strike on Wednesday evening following a round of talks with the Prime Minister, the Education Minister and health authorities.
The Times quotes the teacher’s union president Marco Bonnici who argued that state schools should take the same precautions as school and independent schools, after they announced that they will remain closed on Thursday and Friday.
In-Nazzjon reports on an industrial dispute by the Union of Teachers which instructed members across all education levels to strike until Friday. The union accused the government of ignoring advice by health authorities to keep schools closed.
The Independent announces that the European Commission granted permission for the use of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Moderna. Malta is expected to receive a total 770,000 doses from Pfizer and Moderna, the two vaccines sanctioned by the EU so far.
L-Orizzont reports on a press conference by Health Minister Chris Fearne on Wednesday where he said that further safety measures may be introduced following a rise in Covid-19 cases. He said that front liners and vulnerable people will receive the vaccine by May.
In-Nazzjon quotes PN Leader Bernard Grech who said that Prime Minister Robert Abela has to answer for the lack of planning that led to the sharp surge in Covid-19 cases in the last few days.
The Independent speaks to a PN spokesperson who said that leader Bernard Grech asked his predecessor Adrian Delia for clarifications about a €500,000 donation he presented to Dar tal-Providenza on behalf of Catco Group.
The Times reports on chaos at the Capitol in Washington D.C. after pro-Trump supporters stormed the complex on Wednesday afternoon while the two chambers were in session. One person was shot and killed in the turmoil.
L-Orizzont says that the number of new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday reached a record high for a single day since the start of the pandemic in March as 224 people were registered infected. Just under 950 new cases were reported in a week.
In-Nazzjon says that the total number of Covid-19 cases has risen to more than 13,600 since the start of the pandemic. Registered infections in the last week were the highest in a nine-week period.
Morning Briefing
Government teachers to strike today
Government teachers will strike today and tomorrow after the Ministry of Education insisted schools should re-open for the second term of the year. An industrial dispute was registered after a meeting between Prime Minister Robert Abela and the Union proved unsuccessful.
The MUT said all its members at primary, secondary, university and kindergarten will not turn up for work. However, a number of educators turned to social media to insist that they would be reporting normally to work. Church and independent schools will be offering online lessons for these two days.
The Union of Professional Educators said its members would also be joining the strike.
Union president Marco Bonnici said a request for teaching to go online until a thorough assessment of the COVID-19 situation is carried out by the health authorities following a post-holidays spike in cases was refused by Prime Minister Robert Abela. The union said it was warned that teachers will not be paid if they opted for online lessons.
The MUT insisted that Government insisted on the re-opening of schools despite the health authorities warning against such a step. This was however denied by Justyne Caruana, Education Minister, who said that “The health authorities did not advise us to close schools so they’ll reopen tomorrow, ready to welcome our children with all the protocols to safeguard health”.
PN expresses solidarity with teachers
PN leader Bernard Grech shared his support to teachers “who had to resort to a strike because the government of Robert Abela continues to ignore the advice of the health authorities and continues with his cry of ‘business as usual'”.
Grech said the PM was putting the health of students, teachers parents and school staff at risk.
Second batch of vaccinations to arrive next week
Malta is expected to receive a second batch of anti-Covid vaccinations developed by Moderna next week. This was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health, Dr Chris Fearne following its approval given by the EU Agency for Medicines to the vaccine manufactured by an American company.
Minister Fearne said that as a result of the assured supply of vaccine from Pfizer/BioNtech and Moderna, by the end of May it is expected the pressure will be relieved on Public Health services because these supplies will enable frontliners, those in residences and the vulnerable to be vaccinated.
The Health Minister explained that during the first week, 1.400 vaccinations have been given; in the second week 4,000 vaccinations will be given, in the third week 8,000 and in the fourth week will leap to 16,000. By the end of January, 21,000 vaccinations will have been given.
Covid-19 Update
224 new case of coronavirus were reported in Malta, a record high for the island, on Wednesday. These were identified from 3,365 tests, with 80 persons also recovering. Active cases have gone up again to 1,845. The past 24 hours also saw one further fatality, a 72-year old man who contracted the virus on New Years’ Eve.
Shot fired in Bormla, four arrests
The police is investigating a shooting in Triq id-Dejqa, Bormla. According to an on-site press briefing by the Police, a shot was fired at around 9pm after an argument involving four men.
Police from the Rapid Intervention Unit and district officers were at the scene. No one was injured from the incident.
All four men involved – two Maltese and two foreign nationals – are being held by the police for further questioning.
CDE News
