Update 1920 – Eighty-five new COVID-19 cases were reported by the health authorities on Sunday. Sixty-four patients recovered, leaving 1587 active cases. 1995 swab tests were made in the past 24 hours.
Prime Minister Robert Abela believes that Malta is on the road to satisfy all the Moneyval requirements, he said on Sunday. Abela was being interviewed on ONE radio. “We implemented the changes put forward by Moneyval and I remind everyone that for years since 2012, Moneyval was proposing changes and reforms that needed to take place in our country and we were the government that implemented what was requested. Today, I believe we are on the road to satisfy all Moneyval asked of us so that in a few months time we would have the result we want. – Malta Independent
Opposition leader Bernard Grech has called on the nation to re-evaluate the way of life people were used to before the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the country should not go back to being “business as usual”. In a telephone interview on the Nationalist Party’s radio station, NETFM, Grech said that saying that things will go back to the way they were before the pandemic hurts those who have been suffering. “When the Prime Minister says we’re soon going back to ‘business as usual’, what does he mean? Are we going to once again start ignoring those who are suffering? “No, we don’t want to be ‘business as usual’ because we need to re-evaluate the basics,” Grech said. –Times of Malta
A 35-year-old taxi driver on Sunday denied grievously injuring a Romanian man who he allegedly assaulted with a hammer on New Year’s Day. Desira was granted bail against a €500 deposit and a €3,000 personal guarantee. He was also ordered to sign the bail book twice a week. – Times of Malta
The Nationalist Party is taking the labour administration to task over a failed attempt to secure EU funding for a gas pipeline. They described the lost funds as a confirmation of an outdated energy policy devoid of any futuristic decisions. MaltaToday
A 76-year-old woman of Swieqi is fighting for her life after being involved in a traffic accident in Swieqi on Sunday. The police said that the traffic accident happened on Triq Sant’Andrija at 9.30am. The collision involved a Fiat 500 being driven by a 30-year-old woman of Żurrieq and a Toyota Vitz being driven by a 70-year-old man of Pietà. – Newsbook.com.mt
Updated 0845 – Newspaper Review
Malta Today reveals that the European Commission has turned down funds for Malta’s proposed €400 gas pipeline from Sicily as the EU turns to promote hydrogen power over gas among member states.
The Sunday Times says that the government plans to vaccinate 2,000 people every week in the short term before then raising that to 5,000 jabs a week. A spokesperson for the Health Ministry said that herd immunity in Malta is expected by summer.
The Independent on Sunday reports that Konrad Mizzi was absent for 26 sessions in parliament last year, the highest number among MPs. 16 representatives from the government side and 12 from the opposition were absent for at least 10 sittings.
Illum says that former Rabat mayor Charles Azzopardi is the frontrunner in the casual election race for the House seat vacated by Edward Scicluna. Azzopardi was not allowed to contest in the local council elections again by the Labour Party.
It-Torċa speaks with the chaplain of the Oncology Hospital, Fr Mario Attard, about the effects of the pandemic on patients. Fr Attard describes a sense of hopelessness that was exacerbated by the separation from families.
Il-Mument quotes PN Leader Bernard Grech who said that a healthy country cannot be divided all the time and on every aspect of life. Grech was speaking in public on the first day after he came out of quarantine.
The Independent on Sunday speaks with major environmental NGOs about their 2021 wish list. In their separate replies, the organisations call for stronger legislation for environmental protection and a strategy to curb fossil fuels.
Malta Today says that the Dar tal-Providenza is vetting a €500,000 donation by a Tunisia-based Catco Group Capital Investments to ensure the funds are in line with the home’s verification process. The donation was handed by former PN Leader Adrian Delia.
The Sunday Times quotes PN MP Adrian Delia who said he wants to build a sustainable charity foundation that continues to donate to the Dar tal-Providenza. On Friday, the former Opposition Leader gave a €500,000 donation on behalf of a Tunisia-based company.
It-Torċa reveals plans for drones to be deployed by countries in Southern Europe to monitor the Mediterranean for migrant crossings. The paper says that information will be shared with Libyan authorities who can intercept fleeing boats.
Il-Mument reports that Prime Minister Robert Abela has not responded to a challenge by Opposition Leader Bernard Grech to publish his tax declarations from before 2017.
Morning Briefing
97 migrants picked up in Malta’s SAR zone
The Open Arms rescue vessel has picked up 97 migrants in Malta’s search and rescue zone on Saturday after Maltese authorities ignored a request for assistance. This was reported by the NGO Alarm Phone.The rescue vessel is now requesting to disembark in Malta, a spokesperson told Times of Malta.
Alarm Phone said it had received a distress call at 3am on Saturday from a boat which fled from Libya and was in Malta’s search zone.
The organisation said on Twitter that yesterday “it was alerted by 90 people who fled from Libya towards Europe”, adding that it had informed authorities about the emergency in the Maltese SAR, “but RCC Malta either doesn’t pick up or hangs up our calls immediately.”
DTP to carry out verifications on large donations
Id-Dar tal-Providenza (DTP), in a statement on Saturday, while the general public for its outstanding generosity in the annual Festa ta’ Ġenerożità fundraising marathon organised on New Year’s Day, said that that all donations and pledges above €10,000 are vetted.
The charitable organisation made this statement after eyebrows were raised after a significant €500,000 pledge by Catco Group Capital investment which was fronted by former PN leader, Adrian Delia.
This year’s annual Festa ta’ Ġenerosita’ attraced in excess of €2.5 million on donations, which the organisation described as “the lifeline support which the Home needs for it to continue providing professional services to the residents especially during these trying times.”
Malta registers 220th Covid-19 fatality
Malta has reached the grim milestone of 220 fatalities of patients after contracting coronavirus. The patient was a 73-year-old woman who tested positive on December 14 and died on Friday at Mater Dei Hospital, the Health Ministry said.There were also 88 new cases of COVID-19 registered between Friday and Saturday with 33 recovering. Malta now has 1,566 active COVID-19 cases.
CDE News
