Updated 1400 – Metsola not contesting for top PN post, Bernard Grech potential sole alternative to Delia
According to Church portal newsbook.com.mt, both Roberta Metsola and Therese Comodini Cachia are ready to make way for Dr Bernard Grech to pave the way to contest Adrian Delia in the PN party leadership race.
In a lengthy Facebook post, Roberta Metsola ruled out contesting for the PN Leadership post. She said that “there is consensus that there needs to be one candidate going forward – our Party will simply not survive another drawn out destructive leadership contest.”
Metsola said that it was clear to her that with the way things have progressed her candidature would force a long-drawn out process that will damage not heal.
“Leadership is also about doing the right thing even when it is hard and I’ve taken the hard decision to not be a candidate at this time. I will support the agenda of change within the PN and continue standing up for the Malta and Gozo we all want to see,” she added.
Updated 1355 – 20 new cases of coronavirus in Malta, including four children
The Health Department announced 20 new cases of Covid-19 in Malta, meaning that the number of active cases are now 267. Today’s statement said that four children were among this group. The Times of Malta said that it understood that none of the children were attending SkolaSajf.
Among the new cases, eight form part of a cluster of linked to Paceville while six are related to existent clusters.
Updated 0829 – Newspaper Review
Business Today reports that Therese Comodini Cachia confirmed her intention to contest the PN leadership race. The MP was chosen by the party’s parliamentary group as Opposition Leader after the majority expressed a no confidence vote in Adrian Delia in July.
The Times reports that state witness Melvin Theuma is able to talk unaided again, two weeks after being discovered with a slashed throat. Sources told the paper that the self-confessed middleman’s voice is ‘a bit croaky’ but he can now hold full conversations.
The Independent publishes an interview with a Maltese national living in Lebanon, Mario Camilleri, who described the situation in Beirut following the blast on Monday. He said that the shockwaves were felt as far as 20 kilometres away.
The Malta Business Weekly says that the coronavirus reproductive number in Malta now stands at 1.39, climbing above 1.0 for the first time since May. Malta currently has the ninth highest rate of infections per 100,000 inhabitants within the EU.
L-Orizzont speaks with General Workers Union secretary general Josef Bugeja ahead of a meeting of social partners to discuss recent Covid-19 developments. Bugeja said the union is insisting on a balance between health and the economy.
Business Today quotes Chamber of Commerce president David Xuereb who said that a proposals document on economic sustainability has been widely welcomed and both the Cabinet of Minister and the Opposition have requested detailed briefings.
In-Nazzjon says that the Medical Association will begin industrial actions from today and the Nurses’ Union is set to order strikes from tomorrow. Healthcare unions said the Covid-19 contagion measures introduced by the government do not go far enough.
The Times says that a legal notice published on Wednesday introduced a €3,000 fine for event organisers caught breaching safety protocols. New rules impose a limit of one person per four meters squared at event venues.
L-Orizzont quotes a paper published in a medical journal by Martin Balzan, the president of the Medical Association, where he argues that the Covid-19 rate in Europe’s southern regions remained relatively low.
The Independent reports that the number of active Covid-19 cases has risen to nearly 250 after another 20 infections were registered on Wednesday. About a 100 of these are migrants rescued by the AFM.
In-Nazzjon speaks to PN Electoral Commission president Peter Fenech who said that the election for the party leader will be a transparent process with clear rules which have been approved by the Executive Committee.
Business Today announces that GO Ventures has reached an investment agreement with digital coaching platform Mindbeat. GO CEO Nikhil Patil said that the subsidiary is committed to investing in technology star-ups.
L-Orizzont announces the sudden death of veteran journalist Sam Sammut who served as head of news for several publications by the General Workers Union. The paper says Sammut was active in the Ħamrun PL club.
Updated 0715 – Film producers complain that their voice is not being heard
In a statement, the Malta Producers’ Association (MPA) said that the last few months it has repeatedly but unsuccessfully called for meetings with Minister Farrugia Portelli to discuss pressing matters related to the state of the film sector in Malta. The Association has meanwhile called upon the Prime Minister to intervene. Emails sent to the Minister and the Prime Minister to date remain unanswered and unacknowledged.
It complained that whilst failing to understand the reason behind such discriminatory and unacceptable treatment, the MPA encourages the Hon. Farrugia Portelli to fulfil her role as a Government Minister and to answer the emails sent and to expediently provide the association with a meeting.
“Matters such as COVID-19, the case of discrimation towards film companies by the Film Commissioner and the recently completed yet still undisclosed operational review on his operations need urgent attention. Moroever the continued unexplained delay for the launch of this year’s Film Fund and delays in incentive time-frames are also matters of urgent concern that will have repercussions for our industry if delayed any longer.”
Morning Briefing
Coronavirus in Malta
The Health Department reported 20 new cases of coronavirus in Malta, 9 of which relating to previous clusters, while the rest being classified as sporadic. The tally of active cases has gone up to 249 after the inclusion of further cases among immigrants who disembarked in Malta over the past few days.
Commenting during an interview on timesofmalta.com, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci said: “I am worried about this situation if we keep on going the way we are”.
“I am worried about this situation if we keep on going the way we are. We need the cooperation of the public. The public must control wherever they are going. We are utilising all the mitigation measures which we have in our hands, but we need the cooperation of everyone, and we appeal for more protection of vulnerable people as well” she added.
Doctors, nurses confirm industrial action
Throughout yesterday both doctors’ and nurses’ unions have confirmed that they will take industrial action as from today following government’s unwillingness to put a complete ban on mass events.
As of tomorrow, nurses working at Malta’s main hospitals will refrain from washing patients, transporting patients within the hospital and from attending to patients in specific wards. Doctors, from their end, will start their action as from today. Among a list of measures, they will keep community clinics closed.
According to a legal notice published yesterday, mass event organisers who fail to observer the necessary social distancing rules will be fined €3,000 each. No more than one person for every square metres will be allowed according to regulations which came into force last week.
Nurses have asked the public to raise an alert when such measures are not being followed.
DCG murder middleman speaks again
The Times of Malta reveals this morning that Melvin Theuma, the key witness in
the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder case, who is believed to have slashed his own throat two weeks ago, is now able to hold conversations unaided, multiple sources have said. According to sources who spoke to the newspaper, Theuma will soon be released from the ENT Ward at Mater Dei Hospital.
“The tone of his voice is on the low side and his voice is still a bit croaky and hoarse
but he’s talking unaided and he’s holding entire conversations, including with his
medical team,” reports the Times.
CDE News
