Updated 1230
Seventy new COVID-19 cases were detected between Wednesday and Thursday while almost twice that number of patients, 130, recovered overnight.
Lands Authority CEO James Piscopo to step down
Lands Authority chief executive James Piscopo is to step down, following reports that he is the subject of an active criminal investigation into bribery and corruption.
The authority confirmed Piscopo’s imminent departure in a statement issued on Thursday morning, saying he had “signalled his intentions not to seek a renewal of his contract.”
Demolishing Marsaxlokk farmhouse is ‘lesser of two evils’ – culture watchdog
Demolishing an archaeologically sensitive Marsaxlokk farmhouse was “the lesser of two evils,” Superintendent of Cultural Heritage Kurt Farrugia told Times of Malta after machinery was seen demolishing the vernacular structure.
Footage shot by Marsaxlokk residents on Wednesday shows what appears to be a claw crane tearing through stones and soil in a rural part of the locality on Triq iż-Żejtun.
Updated 0833 – Newspaper Review
The Times says that authorities are holding talks with major airlines to save routes to Malta. Carriers are believed to cut back on their flights over the coming months, with some companies even ready to stop serving the island altogether.
L-Orizzont speaks to SME Chamber CEO Abigail Mamo who said she is confident that moderate expectations for the retail sector will be reached this holiday season. Mamo said that sales have picked up in the last weeks of the year.
The Independent publishes an interview with the parents of 9-year-old Amber Joy who suffers from Congenital Glaucoma and has visited the UK some 70 times for treatment. The child’s parents thank the Community Chest Fund for their support.
In-Nazzjon questions Minister Michael Falzon about whether steps should be taken against Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar. The minister, who was made to resign by Joseph Muscat in 2016, replied that such actions are the responsibility of the Prime Minister.
The Independent reports that the number of deaths from Covid-19 rose above 200 on Wednesday after five casualties were announced. Three of the victims died at Mater Dei hospital, aged 66 to 88, while the other two, aged 55 and 66, were in residential homes.
The Times quotes Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci who said that the number of daily Covid-19 cases is slowly decreasing. Professor Gauci appealed for caution during the festive period.
L-Orizzont says that 55 people from the Mater Dei intensive care unit and the infectious diseases unit will be inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine on Sunday, a day after the arrival of the first batch.
In-Nazzjon follows a briefing by the Public Health Superintendent who encouraged people to take the Covid-19 vaccine, except for those in vulnerable health conditions. Professor Charmaine Gauci said that Covid-19 patients should wait six weeks before taking the vaccine.
Doctors issue warning on Christmas celebrations
The Malta College of Family Doctors warned that Malta could not afford repeating the mistakes made last summer – with caution thrown aside by many – during the festive season.
The College highlighted that the arrival of winter has already led to family doctors seeing more patients. Apart from the regular seasonal surge of respiratory tract infections, however, there have been individuals with various health concerns who had postponed seeking medical advice for months, as well as a noticeable rise in symptoms related to stress and lack of exercise.
“The higher the number of cases the higher the risk of admissions in hospital and death of vulnerable people, the larger the number of people in quarantine, the greater the number of people off work and the further the lack of income in already difficult financial times for a substantial part of the population,” the college warned, encouraging everyone to heed the advice of the health authorities and restrict their celebrations within their households.
Couple charged with money laundering crimes
The authorities’ drive against money-laundering netted two further individuals on Wednesday ebening, after a hairdresser and a driving instructor, which were under investigation for tax evasion, were found to have thousands of euro in designer items at their Mosta home, including Rolex watches, Louis Vuitton handbags as well as others Dolce and Gabbana and Gucci items.
Police Inspector Keith Mullan, from the police Money Laundering Unit, testified in court that the Clint Vella and Sylvana Fenech’s lifestyle, was not reflective of their declared income. The two were charged with money laundering offences.
declaring their full income.
Prof Gauci lists exceptions to vaccine-takers
Health Superintendent Prof Charmaine Gauci said in a press briefing on Wednesday that the vaccine is not indicated for children under the age of 16 and for pregnant women. Professor Gauci added it is important that anyone who suffered from a severe allergic reaction or from respiratory problems after any other vaccine injection should consult with his or her doctor before taking this vaccine.
Professor Gauci recommended consulting a doctor even if one has felt unwell after taking some other vaccination, but not because of any fear. Anyone suffering from serious illnesses or who has an infection which results in a high fever should also seek a doctor’s advice. This does not apply to anyone with a slight cold.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 fatalities have exceeded the grim milestone of 200 deaths after five more were announced today, taking the tally to 201. There were 82 new COVID-19 cases recorded from 2,609 tests, with Prof Charmaine Gauci noting that the rate of increase is now slower than the one registered earlier this month.
132 persons have recovered. 55 persons are currently being recovered in a hospital, 10 of them receiving intensive care.
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