Updated 1240
Moody’s downgrades Malta’s position to negative
Credit rating agency has downgraded Malta’s position from stable to negative, at A2 level. It attributed this decision to increasing debt levels, the recent grey-listing by the FATF in view of Malta’s deficiencies in terms of combating money laundering and doubts related to the recovery of the tourism sector.
Moody’s added that an upgrade of the ratings was currently “highly unlikely given the negative outlook”.
Covid-19 Update
Active cases declined further after 71 people tested positive for COVID in the past 24 hours, while 147 recovered. The tally stands at 1058.
The health authorities also said that 33 people with COVID are being treated at Mater Dei Hospital, five of whom are receiving intensive care.
Newspaper Review
The Independent speaks to Family Minister Michael Falzon about the case of two jailed mothers and the fate of their toddler sons. The minister said that the state welfare agency is seeing to all the children’s needs.
The Times says that a court has overturned a prison sentence handed down to two women caught travelling with false documents. Judge Aaron Bugeja said the original sentence was not wrong in principle but excessive.
L-Orizzont says that Capital Projects Minister Ian Borg presented plans for the rehabilitation of the Grand Harbour area. Focusing on nine zones from Fort St Elmo to Fort Ricasoli, the plan promises a holistic upgrade of the area.
In-Nazzjon follows a press conference by Enemalta in the wake of a series of power outages. CEO Jason Vella said that the company supplied generators to power certain areas after problems with the distribution network in the last days.
The Times reports on a press conference addressed by Enemalta CEO Jason Vella who publicly apologised for a series of power cuts. He said that the distribution network has been impacted in the last weeks by greater demand and excessive heat.
L-Orizzont says that demand for electricity broke records for the second time in a week, rising to 565 megawatts on Thursday. The highest demand registered before the pandemic was 510 megawatts in 2019.
The Independent quotes Enemalta CEO Jason Vella that Marsascala, Mosta, and Naxxar were the localities most affected by power interruptions, caused by malfunctions in the distribution system. He added that the majority of outages were restored within an hour.
In-Nazzjon says that young singing and dancing duo Rihanna and Briannah are giving shows at different locations until Sunday to raise funds for two boys, Len and Jacob, who have been diagnosed with a rare condition.
Morning Briefing
Turkish mothers freed
Two Turkish mothers who were separated from their young sons who were jailed earlier this week for using forged passports had their conviction quashed.
They were freed yesterday afternoon. Magistrate Aaron Bugeja argued that it was evident that Malta is being used as a transit location for non-EU nationals to enter the EU, “The court won’t delve into why people go into this illegal modus operandi. Experience shows that the majority of these cases involve not just the traveller, but a circle of people involved in worldwide organised crime. These people provide a service, often complete, for irregular travel into the EU,” he said.
On the case itself, which is likely to establish precedent, Bugeja said that “young children should not be brought into court unless absolutely necessary. It can be traumatic for adults, much more so for children. It is mentioned in the rules of court that it may be taken as contempt of court if children under 13 are brought into court.”
Enemalta blames record demand, problems with distribution network for powercuts
The recent power outages took place because of a record demand on energy that reached 565 Mega Watt, that is, an addition of 55 Mega Watt more than two years ago before the start of the pandemic. This was stated by Enemalta yesterday. Addressing a press conference, CEO Jason Vella linked the cuts to problems in the distribution network. He promised Enemalta’s plan to upgrade its network through further investment would be accelerated. He said €130 million had been invested over seven years, with Enemalta building an average of 40 new substations a year.
Minister Miriam Dalli had called the cuts “unaccetable” while the PN is insisting for compensation.
Covid-19 Update: 48 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Friday, the lowest this week, while 120 recovered. 3,508 swab tests were carried out yesterday. Active cases continue to decrease, standing at 1,206. Of these, 36 are receiving treatment in hospital, four of them in ITU. The average age of yesterday’s cases stands at 38.
CDE News
