Updated 1700 – Newspaper Review
Times of Malta reports that Gozo could serve as the ideal testing ground of decarbonising technologies and the island could potentially be carbon-neutral before a 2050 target date, MEP Miriam Dalli believes.
Malta Today says that the COVID-19 pandemic will contract the Maltese economy by 8% in 2020, Standard & Poor’s said in a credit rating that affirmed Malta’s A-, A-2 status and a stable outlook.
Newsbook reports that Electrogas published a statement defending itself from allegations of corruption it failed to explain the many allegations in the public domain and the shocking revelations made in Court and during the public inquiry on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
TVM says that since Covid set in over six months ago there has only been one cse in which a person recovered but again contracted the virus. This was one of 43 new cases that have emerged the last few hours.
The Malta Independent reports that President of Malta George Vella visited the head office of Malta’s leading postal services company, MaltaPost, in Marsa, as part of a series of visits to places of work that have played an important role in mitigating the impact of COVID-19.
Update 1243 – Covid-19 Malta
27 coronavirus cases were reported in the past 24 hours, the Health Department said, while 17 patients recovered.
The new cases were identified from a total of 1,647 swab tests. This takes up the number of active cases to 409.
Newspaper Review
L-Orizzont reports the first case of Covid-19 re-infection in Malta, after a man tested positive for a second time this week. The Public Health Superintendent confirmed that the man had first contracted the virus in April and had recovered.
The Times says that Covid-19 cases at homes for the elderly have jumped from 26 to 61 in one week, with outbreaks at three homes. Prof Charmaine Gauci confirmed that staff members have contracted the virus but most of the infected are residents.
The Independent follows the testimony of former Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech in the Caruana Galizia public inquiry who said that the chief of staff at the time, Keith Schembri, had a strong personality and there was a phase when the two did not get along.
In-Nazzjon quotes former minister Louis Grech who said that the Panama Papers revelations presented a major problem to the government and that he had insisted for action to be taken against Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri.
The Independent reports that a Covid-19 patient who had recovered has tested positive a second time. Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci warned that case clusters are rising among families and co-workers.
The Times says that pilots who were dismissed by Air Malta have been offered alternative jobs with the government with the same take-home pay. The Malta Employers Association said the move was ‘unjust’ and it would create pressure for wage inflation.
L-Orizzont publishes parts of the pre-budget document presented by the government which is targeting a ‘rapid recovery’ in all economic sectors. The document prioritises Air Malta, the digitalisation of the justice system, and Malta’s role at the United Nations.
In-Nazzjon says that a man who works at the public abattoir in Marsa has tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday evening. Operations were halted on Friday to disinfect the ‘dirty area’ but will resume from this morning.
Morning Briefing
Covid-19 Malta Update
Malta has witnessed an increase in family clusters and cases at work places, Health Superintendent Prof Charmaine Gauci said today in her weekly briefing. 22 persons were infected at the place of work, excluding the 21 persons infected on the Marsa junction project.
Gauci also spoke about efforts being carried out to limit infections at old people’s homes, where 33 cases have been reported during this past week. She noted how the average age, which at the beginning of the Summer resurgence in cases was rather low, is slowly going up again, and now stands at 47.
Four patients, aged over 80 years old are being treated in the infectious diseases unit at Mater Dei hospital, with three described as not being in a stable condition.
In the past 24 hours, Malta reported 43 new cases of coronavirus and 30 new recoveries. Malta ranks sixth in the EU in terms of the number of active virus cases per 100,000 people in the last 14 days.
Justice Minister and Jason Azzopardi in spat on meeting with Yorgen Fenech’s wife
Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis has refuted allegations by PN MP Jason Azzopardi that he had met Yorgen Fenech’s wife at his Lija house last February.
Yesterday, the Paola MP said that Marlene Fenech visited the Minister’s house on 25th Februrary, when Yorgen Fenech was already under arrest. “It is in our interest to know why she went to the Justice Minister’s family home at a time when court proceedings and developments in Malta and France were ongoing,” Azzopardi said on Facebook.
In a statement, Zammit Lewis “categorically denied” this allegation.
In another statement, Fenech’s lawyers said that the accused’s wife was visiting a doctor when pictured in Lija last February.
Electrogas finds no corruption
Energy consortium Electrogas said that there were no signs of any corruption at any stage of the project, following what it described as an internal review of the Delimara project.
In a statement issued the company said it had launched an “extensive internal legal and forensic review” in 2019, following the appointment of three new directors.
The statement said that the review was launched as the new directors were aware of the “ongoing public domain allegations of corruption, wrongdoing or impropriety” relating to the power station project. The company also denied any wrongdoing in the deal to sell LNG to Enemalta.
Migrants transferred onto NGO vessel
27 migrants who had been stranded for a month on board the Maersk Etienne oil tanker anchored off Malta have been transferred onto an NGO rescue vessel.
NGO Mediterranea said the transfer had been completed and the migrants were being seen to by medical personnel. It said the refugees were in bad psychological and physical shape and could no longer stay on the tanker. The rescue vessel is still anchored at Hurd’s Bank.
CDE News
