Covid19 Update Malta has registered five deaths with Covid-19. Four men, of 50, 51, 78 and 95 and a 63 year old woman were the victims of Covid recorded in the past 24 hours. There were 182 new cases and 258 recoveries. The daily update also announced the death of two persons
Political Discussions
Prime Minister Robert Abela said he got emotional while announcing new COVID-19 measures during the week because he felt for businesses and politicians “are not robots”. “Speaking personally, when I announced the new measures this week I was emotional, I felt for all the restaurant owners who can now only provide a take-away service. I feel for the people, I understand the difficulties people have felt these past 12 months,” he said. Times of Malta
Nationalist Party Leader Bernard Grech said women are capable of succeeding in politics on their own, but the gender corrective mechanism will help to make up for the disadvantages they face, Opposition leader Bernard Grech has said. “Women have succeeded in other sectors – law, medicine, judiciary, business. But why did they not do make it to parliament? So let us remove the obstacles they are facing,” Grech said MaltaToday
Newspaper Review
The Sunday Times reveals a March 2019 WhatsApp exchange between businessman Yorgen Fenech and Johann Buttigieg, who was Planning authority chairman at the time. Buttigieg told Fenech he was ready to “do business” with him.
Malta Today reports that Prime Minister Robert Abela’s trust ratings dropped to 39.8 percent in March, the first time the leader of the Labour Party fell below the 40 percent mark since the monthly surveys started in 2017.
Illum speaks to PL insiders who expressed concern about plummeting approval ratings for leader Robert Abela. The sources feared that the Prime Minister may have come across as indecisive and insensitive to the needs of people in the past months.
The Independent on Sunday marks one year since the first registered case of Covid-19 in Malta. Statistician Vincent Marmara says that the reproductive factor of the virus currently stands at 1.39 percent.
Kullħadd says that Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi failed to declare his income between 2016 and 2018. The paper says that tax returns for the three consecutive years do not include income from the MPs legal profession.
It-Torċa reports that the chairman of the PL media wing, Jason Azzopardi, has requested Standards Commissioner George Hyzler to investigate Jason Azzopardi, following claims by One Group that the PN MP has failed to declare taxable income.
Il-Mument says that members of the government Cabinet were angered by the Prime Minister’s reaction where he said he was “under enormous pressure” during a press conference announcing new measures this week.
The Sunday Times says that a magisterial inquiry into dealing by former chief of staff Keith Schembri and former managing director of Allied Group Adrian Hillman, has recommended criminal charges to be filed against the pair.
Illum carries an interview with the head of the Malta Films Commission, Johann Grech, who said that the industry generated €32 million in 2020, creating a thousand new and guaranteed jobs in the meantime.
Malta Today says that the government is planning to introduce a single Act to regularise hunting and capturing of wild birds, shifting responsibility for wildlife protection from the Environment Ministry to that for hunting, currently held by Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri.
Il-Mument quotes PN Leader Bernard Grech who said that decisions about Covid-19 measures should be led by health authorities, not politicians. He accused Prime Minister Robert Abela of urging people to go out prematurely.
Kullħadd quotes figures by JobsPlus showing that registered employment in Gozo rose by 800 in October 2020 compared with the same month the year before. The number of people in full-time employment stood at 13,932.
It-Torċa says that the PN parliamentary group decided that only Opposition Leader Bernard Grech will discuss the divorce law. Parliament is debating an amendment that would reduce the four-year period of separation required before partners can file for divorce.
NGO Commissioner, Repubblika trade barbs
NGO Repubblika reacted strongly to accusations of breaching NGO law and instigating polical propoganda, brought forward by the commission of Voluntary Organisations, which threatened it with legal action if it did not amend its statute. Repubblika said that it will provide “the strongest possible resistance” to any attempt to take the matter further. In a strong reply to Office of the Commissioner, the NGO said that wWe consider your letter to be a blatant attempt at silencing us. You single us out because we dare to raise our voice against the manner in which the country is being governed. This is not merely our right. It is our duty as a civil society organisation. In this context, you will be met with the strongest possible resistance on our part against any action you take if you attempt to take this matter further”.
The Commissioner’s Office also claimed that Repubblika had “a strong element of private interest in the running of operations” and that it was being run as a foundation rather than a voluntary organisation, because of certain guarantees and securities provided by members for the running of its operations.
PM lost control of pandemic – Grech
Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said the Prime Minister had lost control over the pandemic and consequently has brought the country with its back to the wall. Speaking on NET FM, Dr Grech said the country is suffering because of the hard-headed attitude and arrogance of the Prime Minister who has refused to listen to the advice given by the Health Authorities.
He said the country has entered into a state of emergency as far as public health is concerned and he appealed to the Health Authorities to take decisions without being subject to political interference.
Covid-19 Update
Health authorities reported the second highest ever daily count of Covid-19 cases, 345. With 193 patients recovering, the number of active cases continues to edge up, reaching 3,403. An 88-year-old woman has become the 383rd fatality of the virus. More than 3,800 swab tests were carried out yesterday.
The daily report also indicated that more than 92,000 doses of anti-Covid vaccine were administered, one-third of which being second doses.
