Update 1700h Prime Minister Robert Abela and Health Minister Chris Fearne announced that from tomorrow Maltese residents who had their second dose of the vaccine can register and obtain their COVID-19 vaccine certificate online. The certificate will only be issued after 14 days have lapsed from the date of the second dose. These will be available on the website certifikatvaccin.gov.mt for Maltese ID card holders and can be generated 14 days from the date a person is fully vaccinated.
Update 1245 Covid-19 Update: Two new cases of coronavirus were reported on Monday, while four persons recovered. 1,772 swab tests were carried out on Sunday. The active case tally stands at 66, while the death count remains unchanged at 419.
Delay in Pfizer shipments: The Health Ministry said that some Pfizer vaccination appointments had to be rescheduled by a couple of days due to less doses being delivered by the supplier. A number of people who were due to receive their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine have had their appointments postponed to an unspecified date. The Ministry added that a new date will be given shortly.
Grant for adoptions launched: Families which adopt children from Malta will be given a grant of €1,000. The Minister for Solidarity and Social Justice the Family and Children’s rights, Michael Falzon said that around 90 children who live in residential homes or are being fostered can now be adopted by Maltese adoptive parents.
Newspaper Review
L-Orizzont says that the share of women working in the public sector rose from 35 per cent in 2008 to 48 per cent this year. Women currently make 36 per cent of the labour force engaged in the private sector.
The Times speaks with the CEO of the Hotels and Restaurants Association, Andrew Agius Muscat, who said that the accommodation sector is optimistic about the tourism season opening tomorrow.
L-Orizzont quotes Prime Minister Robert Abela who said on Sunday that he is looking forward to a good season for the tourism sector while urging for caution. Abela said that new control measures have been deployed at the airport and harbour.
The Independent reports that some people have had their vaccine appointments postponed or were told that the administering centre had run out of doses. The paper observes that vaccinations went down from around 7,000 daily to under 3,000 during the weekend.
In-Nazzjon quotes PN Leader Bernard Grech who said that a Nationalist government would procure electricity from the cheapest source and use the savings to refund families for extra charges in their utility bills.
The Times reports that the Ombudsman was critical of the Police selection process for an Assistant Commissioner in 2016. Ruling on a complaint filed by Superintendent Raymond D’Anastasi, the Ombudsman said that process was vitiated.
The Independent says that the Planning Authority has received an application for the construction of a seven-storey apartment block in Marsalforn, replacing an old snack bar. The area has a footprint of around 40 square metres.
In-Nazzjon says that the Nationalist Party launched an online form for households to submit and verify the amounts on their water and electricity bills. In a statement, the party said that a PN government would pay back the difference.
L-Orizzont says that May 31 is World No Tobacco Day, raising awareness about the risks associated with smoking. The report says that Malta reports an average of one death per day caused by cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products.
Morning Briefing
Vaccination certification will be needed for high-risk events
Speaking on Sunday, PM Robert Abela said that Malta had long been pushing for a European-wide vaccination certificate to give breathing space to the tourist industry, adding that it will be used so that vaccinated persons can attend activities termed high risk by the health authorities. The PM expressed described himself as optimistic about the “cautious plan” for this industry to recover, insisting that rigorous monitoring would take place. With new controls, Dr Abela pointed out that a person has to present a vaccination certificate or a negative test before travelling.
He added that the vaccine and the vaccination certificate are the keys to normality, and expressed his satisfaction that Malta is being praised in European fora for having managed to achieve herd immunity.
PN to secure energy from cheapest source
The PN upped the tempo on its energy campaign. While re-iterating the message that it will be paying back any overpayments paid by consumers – in reference to a recent report by the Auditor General which found that thousands of consumers were shortchanged in their Water and Electricity bills due to a miscalculation in tariffs – PN Leader Bernard Grech insisted that he will cut any forced ties on energy procurement. The country would thus be able to secure its energy from the cheapest source, the interconnector.
The Party also launched an online portal for consumers to submit their complaints on wrongly-calculated water and electricity bills
Covid-19 Update
Four new COVID-19 cases were reported on Sunday, while three recovered. Active cases remaining stable at 68. No deaths were reported.
