Updated 1233 – Covid-19 update
129 people got infected with Covid-19 on Christmas Day, with the strangely low number of just three persons recovering. This takes up the number of active cases to 1,485.
Just over 2,000 swab tests were carried out yesterday.
OFFICIAL COVID-19 figures for 26•12•2020 Chris Fearne | MaltaGov | Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate
Posted by saħħa on Saturday, 26 December 2020
Updated 1110 – Covid-19 Vaccine arrives in Malta
The long-awaited Covid-19 vaccine arrived in Malta this morning, a day before the start of a national vaccination programme. 10,000 doses of the Pfizer – BioNTech vaccine reached Malta International Airport at 10.40am, delivered from Puurs, Belgium.
Around 600,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine – enough to cover 300,000 people – would be shipped to Malta over the coming weeks and months, Health Minister Chris Fearne said. Malta secured additional doses in the past days.
The EU is ensuring that all States obtain doses at the same time.
Members of the Armed Forces of Malta have been roped in to ensure the secure transfer of vaccine shipments. Prime Minister Robert Abela and Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne were present for the consignment’s arrival and addressed a press conference after.
JJ Cremona, former Chief Justice, passes away
JJ Cremona, who had a prominent role in the drafing of Malta’s 1964 independence constitution, has died at the age of 102.
Cremona, who also served as chief justice between 1971 and 1981, was known as a great legal minds besides being also an author, historian and poet.
President George Vella described him as “one of its brightest legal minds, and an erudite gentleman”, adding that “Malta is highly indebted to him. Such prominent sons of Malta should not go without appropriate commemoration.”
Morning Briefing
Valletta Christmas sales ‘not too bad’, claims SME Chamber
Although no real comparison can be made with recent past years, the commercial aspects of enterprises seem to have been met despite the pandemic, according to Abigail Mamo, SME Chamber CEO. Speaking to the national broadcaster, Mamo said that commercial trading aspects almost matched previous years but in other areas these declined in a year that cannot be considered as normal. However, on the whole, things went well she added.
Abigail Mamo noted that nowadays Valletta is not only retail centre but offers a variety of other attractions and has therefore become a destination. It was always a destination for visiting tourists but gradually it has become a hub of domestic initiatives for various agencies, including the Aġenzija Kulturali tal-Belt Valletta, mounted during this festive of the year.
Asked about the business of bars and restaurants in Valletta, CEO Psaila Mamo said that because of the sacrifices having to be made it has not been such a good year but it is hoped that clients make up for this in the coming year.
Love should take centre stage – Archbishop
Archbishop Charles J Scicluna called for love to be place in centre stage, according to the message of God. During Christmas Mass at the Mdina Cathedral, Scicluna railed against the fakeness of today’s world, where even love seems to be an asset which can be sold and bought. Instead, he urged belivers to focus on the birth of God, through which one can see the true meaning of love.
“God thought us how to love because he is love,” said the Archbishop while referring to the letter about St. Joseph, published by Pope Francis on the 8th of December.
Covid-19 Update
Christmas Day provided some respite to health authorities with 124 recoveries far outweighing the 50 new cases registered overnight.
No deaths were registered during the same timeframe, meaning the tally remains unchanged at 203. The number of active cases continues to go down, to 1362.
CDE News
