The Times reports on a brawl involving some 50 people that broke out in Paceville on New Year’s Eve. Three people sustained injuries and several others were arrested by the police who had to take out their taser guns.
L-Orizzont says that 26 new drugs were added to the free medicines supplied by the government in 2020, making it the biggest addition of free drugs in a single year. The drugs include medication for cancer and high blood pressure.
The Times says that a second round of government vouchers to be redeemed at shops, restaurants and hotels is to be rolled out by mid-January. The hotels and restaurants association confirmed the plans.
L-Orizzont speaks with Customs Department director Joseph Chetcuti who said that imports of objects for personal use from the UK will not need to be declared now that Britain is formally a Third Country.
Morning Briefing
St Vincent de Paule residents start receiving Covid-19 vaccine
Malta’s vaccination programme continued on New Years Day with 40 elderly persons resident at St Vincent de Paule and 15 members of staff getting the jab. Mary Pizzuto, a 94 year old resident, received the jab at St Vincent de Paul, where she lives, on Friday.
Around 600,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine – enough to inoculate 300,000 people with two doses are expected in Malta over the next weeks. The Medical Association of Malta has called for a wider roll out of the programme, and insisted that all healthcare professionals should be offered the jab within five weeks.
Meanwhile, 135 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Friday, the highest number of daily cases in more than three weeks, while only 57 recovered. Covid-19 has hit local football team Valletta FC, with all the squad put into a mandatory quarantine after more coronavirus cases were found from a round of swab testing to their squad on Friday.
520 vehicle inspections on NYE
It was a busy New Years Eve for the local enforcement authorities, with officers from the Police Traffic Section, together with District Police and officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit (RIU), the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) and other sections, carrying out a number of roadblock controls as part of continuous Police efforts towards safety on Maltese roads.
The Police said in a statement that some 520 vehicles were stopped during these roadblocks which were set up in various localities in Malta and Gozo. A number of persons were found to be in breach of traffic regulations, including driving without a valid licence, not wearing a seat belt, driving a vehicle without a road licence and insurance policy, missing registration plates and lights not according to legal requirements, among various contraventions.
Dar tal-Providenza telethon raises EUR 2.5 million
In another strong show of solidarity by the local public, the Dar tal-Providenza secured over 2.5 million euro in donations on Friday, a record amount for the traditional New Years’ Day fundraising event. Unlike the previous years, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the annual telethon was held in a tv studio instead of Dar tal-Providenza. This has been a particularly challenging year for the charitable organisation, which cares for 115 persons with disabilities, with the measures taken to safeguard residents and staff resulting in additional operational costs.
