Updated 1745 – News Portal Briefing
Times of Malta reports that Nationalist Party MP Edwin Vassallo has played down suggestions of a growing rift between himself and party leader Bernard Grech, following controversy over comments the MP made about LGBTIQ rights.
MaltaToday reports that all Marsa Junction Project Flyovers are now open.
Newsbook reports that over €130,000 has been collected by Caritas so far.
TVM reports that Nationalist Party leader, Bernard Grech, said that the party does not consider the agricultural sector as a burden but another economic pillar which complements the remainder of our socio-economic model.
Updated 1230
Covid-19 Update
The number of active cases in Malta remain stable at 2,120 with practically the same number of new cases and recoveries reported in the past 24 hours.
Health authorities have announced 121 new cases and 122 recovieries, identified through 2955 swabs.
Following five deaths reported on Friday, the number persons passing away following Covid-19 infection has gone up to 95.
Young man dies in Mgarr collission
A 19-year-old man tragically lost his life on Friday night in a head-on collision between two cars in Mġarr that left two others with serious injuries.
The young victim was driving a Toyota Corolla on Triq Sir Temi Zammit at around 11.15pm when the crash happened. The police said that Alan Galea, 19, died at the scene of the crash. He was heading towards Mosta, where he lived, with an 18-year-old man in the passenger seat when he collided with a Mitsubishi pickup truck being driven in the opposite direction by a 35-year-old man from Mġarr.
Family Doctors complain about scant enforcement
The Malta College of Family Doctors (MCFD) has complained of scant enforcement of the restrictive measures aimed to bring down the high numbers of COVID-19 infections and to keep Malta out of a lockdown.
“We understand the reasoning for trying not to follow in the steps of other European Union member states who went into partial lockdowns, but on the other hand does not understand the scant enforcement of the restrictive measures aimed to circuit-break the current high numbers while keeping the country out of a lockdown.”
“It is ironic that most schoolchildren, who are the least affected by COVID-19, are diligently wearing face masks, staying in bubbles and regularly cleaning hands and desks, whilst a substantial part of the vulnerable elderly, who are most at risk of COVID-19, are aggregating in groups in broad daylight without appropriate wearing of masks and without the recommended social distancing,” the family doctors said.
Malta Chamber calls for more telework
In the context of the sustained rate of infection currently being experienced in Malta, which is resulting in an unfortunately consistent consequential mortality rate, The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry sad in a statement that “is compelled” to call for utmost care and responsibility by all, no less the country’s employers, in the interest of everyone’s health and wellbeing.
The Malta Chamber noted that though there have been a number of recoveries registered in the past days, the spread seems to be happening at a consistently high rate, also claiming the youngest victim to date on Friday.
Updated 0900 – Newspaper Review
The Times follows the testimony of former Minister Chris Cardona in the Caruana Galizia public inquiry where he revealed that he had advised Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to keep chief of staff Keith Schembri and minister Konrad Mizzi after the Panama Papers revelations.
The Independent reports on the Caruana Galizia public inquiry on Friday where former minister Chris Cardona testified that he got to know former chief of staff Keith Schembri about a year before the 2013 general election.
L-Orizzont quotes former Economy Minister Chris Cardona who said that there were many allegations about him but none of them was proven. He was testifying before the Caruana Galizia public inquiry on Friday.
In-Nazzjon covers a meeting by PN Leader Bernard Grech and secretary general Francis Zammit Dimech who welcomed MEP Roberta Metsola after her election as vice president of the European Parliament. Metsola later visited President George Vella.
The Independent says that the number of active Covid-19 cases have reached a record 2,124 after 150 new infections were registered on Friday. There are currently 13 patients in intensive care and 10 at the Infectious Diseases Unit.
The Times reports that the mayor of Qormi, Renald Falzon, has died of COvid-19, becoming the youngest victim of the disease aged 46. The virus has claimed the lives of more than 90 patients, including Falzon’s father three weeks ago.
L-Orizzont says that there have been reports of side-effects from the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer. A volunteer said that she experienced fever and headaches after being administered the first jab.
In-Nazzjon carries the story of a man who overcame his drug addiction after following a programme with Caritas. German Cassar said that he made the decision to quit drug use when he was confronted by his teenage daughter.
Morning Briefing
Five more Covid deaths
Another three COVID-19 deaths were announced by the Health Ministry, yesterday evening, taking Friday’s tally to five and Malta’s total to 95.
In a statement, the Health Ministry said an 84-year-old man who was confirmed positive on October 29. He died on Friday at the Good Samaritan Long Term Care Facility. An 82-year-old man who tested positive on October 14 and a 46-year-old man who tested positive on October 10 died on Friday at Mater Dei Hospital.
The latter was identified on social media as Qormi Mayor Renald Falzon. Messages of condolonces from both sides of the political spectrum dominated social media yesterday evening. Falzon is the youngest victim of the virus so far.
Earlier during the day, Health Superintendent Prof Charmaine Gauci had announced two other deaths.
150 new cases on Friday – 208 in hospital
The number of new Covid-19 cases reported yesterday reached 150, with 101 patients recovering, health authorities said. This takes the tally of active cases to a new record of 2,124. In total, the number of cases recorded in Malta was 7,796, with 92 deaths, including two announced this morning.
In the weekly press conference, Health Superintendent Prof. Charmaine Gauci said that there were 208 people being treated in hospital for coronavirus including 13 in the intensive treatment unit and 10 in the infectious disease unit at Mater Dei.
Chris Cardona says he was framed on Caruana Galizia murder links
Chris Cardona says that the letter which attempted to link him to Caruana Galizia’s murder was “clearly an attempted frame-up.” The former Economy Minister and Labour Deputy Leader was testifyomg in the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry on Friday.
Cardona testified that he had no idea who wrote those letters, and that these were not shown to him. Questioned by Judge Lofaro as to why he did not take steps to clear his name, Cardona insisted that he did not want to interefere with police investigations and that such action might be taken at the opportune time.
He also re-iterated a claim that a number of journalists were conspiring against him to implicate him in the crime, referring to to secret footage by a French journalist who recorded a bar-goer claiming he saw Cardona meeting the alleged killers.
Jesuits mourn Grech Marguerat’s passing away
One of the founders of the Jesuit Refugee Service in Malta, Fr Pierre Grech Marguerat has died, aged 62, the Jesuit community said.
Grech Marguerat died suddenly at the Jesuit community house in Pisa, where he had just returned after having being in hospital.
“Dear friends, Heaven has welcomed another beautiful soul,” the Maltese Jesuit community said in a Facebook post announcing Grech Marguerat’s death
CDE News
