Updated 1745 – News Portal Reviews
TVM says 65 new cases of Covid-19 have been identified in Malta over the past 24 hours after 2,922 swab tests were carried out. 663 cases are presently active.
MaltaToday reports 27 migrants have been remanded in custody and a security guard released on bail after shooting an escaping migrant following riots that took place at the Safi detention centre on Friday.
Times of Malta says teachers should “show courage” and go to work during the pandemic, as other professions had done successfully by taking precautionary measures, Education Minister Owen Bonnici said.
The Malta Independent reports an 85-year-old man has become the third person in a day to die with Covid-19, with health authorities confirming his death on Saturday afternoon.
Newsbook says 68% of respondents are in favour of smoking bans/restrictions on beaches, according to an infographic published by the National Statistics Office (NSO).
Update 1556 – Third death in 24 hours
A third patient, an 85-year-old man, died later in the day on Saturday. He suffered from underlying conditions, the ministry said when announcing his death.
The three fatalities mean the country has now reported 20 coronavirus-linked deaths in total, with five this week alone. Times of Malta
Updated 1239 – 65 new cases of coronavirus in Malta
The daily updates from the Health Ministry make for grim reading today with two persons passing away in the past 24 hours, while 65 new infections were registered. With only a third of this number recovering, the number of active cases continue to increase and have reached 663.
More than 2,900 swab tests were carried out yesterday.
Update 1215 – Covid19 Victims
The Ministry of Health confirmed reports that two women died while being diagnosed with Covid-19.
The victims, women aged 72 and 86 respectively, were both receiving treatment at Mater Dei Hospital’s intensive care unit.
Malta’s death toll now has reached 19, with four being reported this week alone.
Updated 0915 – Newspaper Review
The Independent follows the testimony of Minister Owen Bonnici in the Caruana Galizia public inquiry on Friday who said that Konrad Mizzi was ‘naïve’ to have opened an offshore account in Panama when he was in office.
The Times reports that a security officer for a private firm was arrested by the police after shooting at a migrant during a riot in the Safi detention centre on Friday. 27 migrants were also held over the riot, in which seven police officers were injured.
L-Orizzont says that the government is committed to helping workers and businesses that have been negatively affected by pandemic. Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said that state support will continue for as long as needed.
In-Nazzjon leads with the formal nomination of Adrian Delia for PN leader, which was accepted by the Electoral Commission on Friday. The incumbent urged the party’s paid-up members to vote in the upcoming election.
The Independent reports that two Covid-19 patients are being kept on the ventilator in intensive care at Mater Dei. Meanwhile, a 91-year-old woman became Malta’s 17th victim of the virus on Friday.
L-Orizzont quotes Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne who said that it is vital that children are able to go to school and that the government is doing everything possible to reopen schools safely.
The Times quotes Education Minister Owen Bonnici who encouraged educators to report back to school. The minister said he understood concerns by teachers but said that the necessary safety precautions are in place.
In-Nazzjon says that the last days made it the worst week for Covid-19 in Malta since the start of the outbreak after a record number of cases in a single day and the death of a patient. Public Health Commissioner Charmaine Gauci appealed for people to wear facemasks.
Adrian Delia formally launches PN leadership campaign
Incumbent PN leader Adrian Delia formally launched his leadership campaign on Friday focusing his achievements during his three year tenure.
Delia noted that throughout his leadership, the party had significantly improved its financial position. Concurrently, the party’s media is now breaking even after losses of up to 1.5 million euro until two years ago.
He also noted that the party’s membership had increased by 7,000 since 2017 to 25,990 eligible to vote in this year’s election. He promised to work to take the tally of members to 30,000 within two years if re-elected.
Police arrest migrants, security officer after riot at Safi centre
The police have detained 27 migrants over their alleged involvement in a riot which broke out at the Safi detention centre early on Friday. The police also arrested a private security official who fired a shot at a migrant with a shotgun that was in his car, slightly injuring him.
Five migrants were issued arrest warrants after they tried to escape, injuring seven RIU police officers in the process. The officers were certified to be suffering from serious injuries.
Covid-19 Update
39 new cases were identified in the past 24 hours, with 18 recoveries. Swab tests taken were 2,632, with the number of active cases reaching 621.
In her weekly briefing, Prof Charmaine Gauci said 9 persons are being treated at the Infectious Diseases Unit, and two are being treated at the Intensive Therapy Unit. 12 are being kept in other wards, 10 are at Boffa Hospital and 12 are at St Thomas Hospital.
She said that the number of cases is increasing. “We saw a peak and now the numbers are increasing again, as is happening in many other countries around the world.” Gauci added that the biggest clusters now are related to care homes. 117 cases related to care homes were discovered over the past week. The number includes both residents and staff members.
Meanwhile, a 91-year-old woman became Malta’s seventeenth Covid-19 death to be reported since the arrival of the pandemic on our shores.
Gauci also said that the average age of infected patients has gone up to 50.
In today’s Times of Malta, Education Minister Owen Bonnici appeals to educators to “find courage” and return to the classrooms, despite opposition and concerns being expressed by the respective Unions.
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