Updated 1240 – No new cases of coronavirus in Malta
There were no new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the Health Department said. With one recovery being reported during the same timeframe, the number of active cases now stands at 12.
The Department said that for the first time since March, there are no patients being treated for Covid-19 at Mater Dei. Six people are however receiving treatment at other hospitals – Boffa, St Thomas and Karin Grech.
Updated 0910 – Masks still required in shops
Timesofmalta.com reports that the health authorities have continued to carry out random inspections at shops, gyms, bars and salons to ensure COVID-19 mitigation measures are being followed.
The online portal spoke to a spokesperson for the health ministry who insisted that masks must still be worn in places such as salons and shops. “Inspections to ensure compliance with the conditions for mitigation measures are still being performed by Officials of the Environmental Health Directorate,” the spokesperson said.
Updated 0904 – Newspaper Review
The Independent quotes a report by the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life which found the former Prime Minister in breach of ethical conduct for accepting fine wines from business mogul Yorgen Fenech.
The Times reports that a parliamentary committee could impose sanctions on MP Joseph Muscat for receiving expensive gifts from businessman Yorgen Fenech. The former Prime Minister said he disagreed with the conclusion reached by the Commissioner for Standards.
L-Orizzont reports that John Paul Woods has been arraigned in court accused of the murder of Charlene Farrugia, twelve years ago. The remains of the victim’s body, aged 25 at the time of her disappearance, was discovered in the outskirts of Valletta last year.
In-Nazzjon follows the case in court into the deal to privatise three state hospitals. Nexia BT partner Manuel Castagna, who sat on the evaluation and adjudication board of the deal, said in his testimony that no due diligence was carried out into Vitals Healthcare.
The Independent reports that the government published amendments to the Citizenship Act on Friday that will scrap the current cash-for-passports scheme and introduce a new residence by investment system.
The Times quotes Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship Alex Muscat who said that an overhaul of the IIP scheme could be introduced as early as September. Applicants will now be required to reside in Malta for at least a year to be eligible for citizenship.
L-Orizzont announces that the General Workers Union has ordered industrial actions against the Central Procurement and Supplies Unit. The union says it is safeguarding the conditions of work of employees.
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Malta registered its first imported case of coronavirus yesterday after a long while, but Air Malta rushed to put people’s mind at rest, explaining that this concerned a returnee on a repatriation flight. Such statement quelled initial reactions that a first imported case was identified practically on the first day after the re-opening of Malta’s airport.
Meanwhile, Malta received the UK’s green light for travel between the two countries. The British government yesterday published a list of 59 countries and territories that will form travel corridors with England. People arriving in England from these mentioned destinations will not have to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Governance high on the agenda
Governance was once again high on the agenda yesterday with Government announcing significant revisions in the IIP Programme. Citizenship Parliamentary Secretary Alex Muscat announced during a press conference that new regulations, which come into force in September, will remove the possibility for individuals to apply for Maltese citizenship without first living in Malta for a stipulated
period of time.
In a separate development, Standards Commissioner George Hyzler found former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat guilty of an ethical breach when accepting expensive bottles of wine from Daphne Caruana Galizia murder suspect Yorgen Fenech, an investigation. Through a Facebook case, Muscat lamented that the Commissioner “failed to understand the exceptional circumstances of the case”.
CDE News
