Updated 1745 News Portal Briefing
The Times of Malta reports that almost 90 new COVID-19 cases detected this week are of elderly residents at three care homes, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci said on Friday.
MaltaToday reports that men will start being asked for marital status like women in notarial deeds.
Newsbook reports that 1,138 students were awarded MATSEC certificate after taking exams in September.
TVM reports that a man was arrested in connection with four robberies from airport
Updated 1515 – 59-year old is latest person to succumb to coronavirus
A 59-year-old man has become Malta’s 74th coronavirus victim, the health authorities announced. The man tested positive for COVID-19 on October 27. He died yesterday night at Mater Dei. Four people died of COVID-19 on Thursday.
Updated 1233 – 129 new Covid-cases reported today
Health authorities reported a total of 129 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, while 67 patients recovered. This means Malta is currently just 12 cases short of 2,000 active infections. A total of 3,523 swabs were carried out in the past 24 hours.
Updated 1050 – Health organisations push for re-introduction of further restrictive measures
Thirteen professional medical associations have proposed the reintroduction of further restrictive measures to fight COVID-19.
In a statement this morning, a number of organisations representing professionials such as pathologists, surgeons, physicians and paediatricians, among others, said health services are facing a crisis “which will only get worse if such restrictions are not increased and effectively enforced”.
The health sector professionals insisted that with an increase in community spread, despite the measures which have already been reintroduced, they “anticipate a continued increase in hospital admissions, especially with winter around the corner, mirrored by an increase in the fatality rate together with the prospect of a critical care service which is already unable to cope with demand.”
Updated 1055 – European press organisations express concern at alleged bribe attempt by Yorgen Fenech’s lawyers.
A number of European press freedom association have expressed concern at the alleged attempt to bribe a journalist made by the defence team of Yorgen Fenech, the man who stands accused of complicity in the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The associations noted that the defence team had made uncorroborated and inconsistent allegations about Times journalist Ivan Martin, flagging this as an apparent attempt to impugn his personal and professional integrity. “As such, they in themselves constitute an attack on media freedom and we urge [the lawyers in question] to stop spreading baseless misinformation and instead cooperate fully with investigations into their conduct,” they maintained.
Updated 1045 – Reforms to engineering profession stalled
The Times of Malta reports that proposed amendments to the law regulating the engineering profession have stalled after a court confirmed an injunction requested by a trade union and backed by three elected members on the Engineering Profession Board.
The union that represents warranted engineers had filed for the injunction in a bid to block the board’s attempt to push the proposed amendments through Parliament, claiming that such amendments would effectively eliminate the status of the professional engineer.
Updated 0855 – Newspaper Review
The Times quotes Prime Minister Robert Abela who denied claims on social media that the country is heading into lockdown. Abela said that the introduction of restrictions is enough for Malta to control the spread of the virus.
The Independent reports that two men, one aged 54 and the other 74, have become the latest coronavirus victims. The virus has now claimed 70 lives since the start of the outbreak while the number of active cases has risen to above 1,900 again.
L-Orizzont speaks to the foster parents of the child who was illegally taken out of Malta by her mother. The couple said that they have still not received any answers 25 days after the girl was reported missing.
In-Nazzjon reports that Joe Ellis has won the casual election in the 13th District after PN MP Frederick Azzopardi died last week. The new MP met PN Leader Bernard Grech and party secretary general Francis Zammit Dimech after his election.
The Times publishes parts of the European Commission’s autumn economic forecast which does not foresee EU economies returning to a state of normality before 2023. Malta, however, is expected to make a ‘modest recover’ between 2021 and 2022.
L-Orizzont quotes a European Commission report which forecasts a 6.2 percent growth for Malta’s economy in 2022. The economy across the EU that year is expected to shrink to 3 percent after a 4.1 growth in 2021.
The Independent reports that Cyrus Engerer was elected to the European Parliament in a casual election to fill the seat vacated by Miriam Dalli. In his first comments, the new MEP said he will focus on civil rights and the environment.
In-Nazzjon quotes Opposition Leader Bernard Grech who accused the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister of appointing a chairman for the financial intelligence analysis unit in breach of law after failing to go through the process of public hearing.
L-Orizzont says that the police are investigating a person who made a fascist salute in a protest in Valletta earlier this year. If found guilty, the suspect may get a prison sentence of up to 18 months.
Morning Briefing
Two more Covid-19 deaths reported on Friday morning
Early on Friday morning the Health Ministry reported that two more persons lost their life after infecton by coronavirus, meaning that 73 persons have now succumbed to the virus.
The Ministry said that a 75-year-old man tested positive for Covid-19 on 14 October and was admitted to Mater Dei Hospital a day later. He died on Thursday evening at the Intensive Therapy Unit.
A 90-year-old woman also died from Covid on Thursday. She had been admitted to Mater Dei Hospital today week and tested positive that same day. She also passed away yesterday evening.
This means that eight persons have now died in the past three days, including a 54-year old yesterday, the second youngest victim so far. The Health Department yesterday had reported 174 new cases of coronavirus, with the number of active cases standing at 1929.
EU forecasts moderate recovery for Malta in 2021 but Brexit to take its toll
The COVID-19 pandemic is having an acute impact on critical sectors of Malta’s economy including tourism and external trade, leading to a temporary and limited increase in the unemployment rate.
In its Autumn Forecast, the European Commission is forecasting a modest recovery is forecast in 2021 and 2022 for the Maltese economy, but expresses concern at the considerable uncertainty surrounds the evolution of the pandemic and the impact of the change to less beneficial trading relations between the UK and the EU.
According to the EU executive, Brexit is expected to have a considerable negative impact on the trade balance between the UK and Malta. The new trade relations are expected to have the strongest impact on growth in 2021 and to a lesser extent also in 2022.
FIAU Chairman appointment illegal – PN
Government broke the law in appointing new Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit Chairman Jesmond Gatt, the opposition has said.
Addressing a press conference, Nationalist Leader Bernard Grech said Gatt’s appointment last March did not conform with the Public Administration Act.
He argued that before being appointed, a candidate for the role had to appear before the Public Appointment’s Committee, where he or she would be subject to a due diligence procedure by its members.
PM Abela says no lockdown to be announced
PM Robert Abela has excluded a lockdown. In comments to the press, the PM rejected social media rumours that the country is on the verge of severe COVID-19 restrictions. The prime minister said that he had no idea where a supposed list of measures that would put the country into a state close to a lockdown had come from.
“I don’t know from where this came but I can confirm that we are not heading towards a total lockdown.”
CDE News
