Updated 1745- News Portal Briefing
Times of Malta says Malta International Airport has urged health authorities to reconsider new vaccine certificate rules due to come into force next week, saying they put an “unnecessary burden” on Maltese residents.
MaltaToday says Nationalist MP David Thake has blamed cash flow problems for the outstanding VAT payments his telecoms company has accumulated.
Newsbook says lawyer Andy Ellul has been formally sworn in as a Labour Party MP on Monday, after he was co-opted to replace Żejtun family doctor Silvio Grixti.
TVM says Professor Stephen Montfort, an authority in respiratory disease in the country, said that the majority of patients admitted in hospital with Covid-19 expressed their regret because they chose not to be vaccinated.
Updated 1238 – Mid-Day Briefing
Unemployment stable in November: The seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate for November 2021 stood at 3.5% at par with the previous month, the NSO said today. For the month under review, the unemployment rate for males was 3.9%, while the rate for females stood at 3.1%. The unemployment rate during November 2021 for persons aged 15 to 24 years (youth unemployment rate) remained relatively high 8.5%, while the rate for those between 25 and 74 years stood at 3.0%. Translated into actual figures, the number of unemployed persons stood at 9,924.
SME Chamber wants shorter quarantine requirements: The Malta Chamber of SMEs has called for a reduction of quarantine requirements for vaccinated people. In a statement this morning, the SME Chamber said that those who come in contact with virus cases should only stay for five days in quarantine if they are fully vaccinated. People who have symptoms would have to stay at home until their symptoms clear up and at least 24 hours after they last had a fever. They would not need to get tested before leaving quarantine. The chamber said it was making these proposals to the government on the basis of recommendations made by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Covid-19 Update: 437 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Monday by health authorities, while 542 recovered. An 84-year-old female died overnight, taking the death tally to 489.
Morning Briefing
Thake suspends himself pending tax probe
PN MP David Thake has suspended himself from the PN’s parliamentary group and resigned from the shadow cabinet pending an ethics probe into unpaid tax dues. The decision was taken after media reports that two companies he owns had unpaid VAT. Thake accused the government of weaponising the civil service to attack its political opponents. The companies reportedly owe over 800,000 euro in VAT. Thake insisted that the case had nothing to do with tax evasion. (Times of Malta)
PM calls for booster take-up
The booster vaccine was high on PM Robert Abela’s agenda, who called on people to register for the vaccine, it is key for Malta to successfully emerge from the pandemic. “The numbers do not lie. If you compare the COVID-19 situation with that of last year, we have had more new cases, but the hospitalization rate has remained low,” Abela said. The PM described the wage supplement as “the most effective tool” in retaining people’s way of life during the pandemic, insisting government will continue to take a pro-market stance so that worker keep their jobs. (Independent)
PM can’t take decisions – Bernard Grech
PN leader Bernard Grech focused his intervention on NET TV on the mega-proposal launched on Saturday, aimed at fighting corruption. “Despite a number of calls for Robert Abela to implement recommendations so he puts a stop to impunity, corruption and organised crime, he is yet to take decisions,” Grech said. Speaking on NET TV, appealed to government so that regulated self-testing kits are introduced in the country in light of the increase in cases. He also appealed for full transparency from government in its decisions on the pandemic. (Maltatoday)
Covid-19 Update
A 63-year-old male is Malta’s latest person who died of Covid-19. The latest data released from the Health Ministry show that over the past 24 hours, there were 563 new Coronavirus cases reported in Malta. The latest bulletin also announced that 1018 recovered.
