Latest Update- News Portal Briefing
Times of Malta reports that the PN wants independent inquiry into vaccine roll out.
MaltaToday reports that student organisations have called on the Junior College administration to shift towards full online teaching
Newsbook reports that NGO Repubblika is calling for Speaker Anglu Farrugia’s resignation following his ruling on March 2nd that the Standards Commissioner should not have continued his investigations into the incident where journalists were detained at the Auberge de Castille in November 2019
Unemployment in Malta at 4.4%
The unemployment rate for January 2021 stood at 4.4 per cent, at par with the previous month and 0.7 percentage points more than January 2020, the NSO said today. This means that there are now 12,041 persons without a job in Malta.
During January 2021, the number of unemployed persons was 12,041 with the unemployed males and the 25 to 74 age group being the major contributors to the overall level of unemployment. The seasonally adjusted number of unemployed youths amounted to 3,162, whereas those aged between 25 and 74 stood at 8,879.
In January 2021, the unemployment rate for males was 4.4 per cent, at par with the previous month. The
rate for females stood at 4.5 per cent, also unchanged from December 2020 estimates. The unemployment rate for persons aged 15 to 24 years (youth unemployment rate) was 11.5 per cent, while the rate for those between 25 and 74 years old stood at 3.6 per cent.
Pathologists want more restrictive measures
The Malta College of Pathologists called for additional restrictive measure in the light of increasing Covid-19 cases. The organisation argued that it was clear that the token mitigation measures, non-enforcement of restrictions and people letting down their guard was resulting in the rapid spread of the virus, it said.
In a statement, the association said: “The message coming across from government and the health authorities seems to give the impression that the ongoing vaccination programme is the be all and end all of the pandemic. The vaccine is not a mitigation measure and it is not a circuit breaker. It will not reduce numbers in the immediate future, as we have already witnessed.”
Newspaper Review
The Malta Business Weekly carries an interview with the head of the Estate Agents Section within the Developers’ Association, Michael Bonello. He welcomes the rent reforms concerning pre-1995 contracts but warns that they could present new challenges.
L-Orizzont quotes a statement by the General Workers Union backing the rent reform of pre-1995 contracts. The union said that the amendments announced by the government are fair with both tenants and property owners.
Business Today reports that AX Group registered a drop in revenue of €23 million in the year ending October 2020. The group’s main holdings are in tourism, elderly care, and the construction sectors.
The Times quotes Prime Minister Robert Abela who ruled out any form of lockdown to bring the current surge of Covid-19 infections under control. He said that Malta is handling the pandemic better than other EU states and committed to keeping businesses open.
The Independent says that new measures will be introduced to limit the spread of the virus. The Prime Minister said that the government is trying to strike a balance between saving lives and protecting livelihoods.
In-Nazzjon reports the death of two Covid-19 patients, both men aged 57 and 76. The paper says that 51 weeks after the first case, there were 22,482 registered infections and 19,447 recoveries.
L-Orizzont speaks to Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri about enforcement of Covid-19 rules. The minister revealed that officers have issued more than 2,300 fines since the beginning of the year.
The Independent quotes a public message by a woman who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, pleading with authorities to import life-saving medication to Malta. Mandy Vella had met the Prime Minister in November to explain the critical situation.
The Malta Business Weekly speaks to the CEO of the Gozo Business Chamber, Daniel Borg, who said that the announcement of the fast ferry service to Valletta is a sign of confidence in Gozo’s business potential.
L-Orizzont follows an address by Prime Minister Robert Abela during a business breakfast in Gozo where he said that the government is committed to eliminate the economic gap between the two islands.
The Times quotes a report by the Commissioner for Standards flagging the detainment of journalists at Castille by government officials in November 2019. The paper says this is the fourth time former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was found in breach of the ethics code.
Business Today quotes findings from a survey with 200 business by the Malta Employers Association which expects economic recovery to take longer than first anticipated. Seven in ten companies believe it will take them a year or more to recover.
In-Nazzjon quotes PN Leader Bernard Grech who said that new revelations this week uncovered deep ties between the Labour government and organised crime. Grech said that the Prime Minister cannot pretend like he was not involved in the Muscat administration.
Morning Briefing
New measures to be announced, but no lockdown
Prime Minister Robert Abela has once again ruled out any consideration of a lockdown, but said that restrictive measures will be announced shortly to curb recent rises in coronavirus cases: “I believe this is important to ensure that rules are observed. We will continue discussing the measures we will be announcing in a few hours to ensure that the situation from a medical angle remains stable,” Abela said.
Despite calls by a number of health unions, such as MAM, MUMN and MAPHM, the Prime Minister argued that the Government needs to maintain a balance between protection of lives and protection of livelihoods: “We need businesses to remain open and the measures we will be announcing will preserve this essential balance without being draconian and going for a lockdown.”
The Health Department reported 233 new cases of coronavirus in the previous 24 hours, with 162 recovering. The number of active cases has reached 3,000. 3,654 swab tests were carried out in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the number of deaths linked to Covid-19 has reached 321.
Gozo has the potential to be the centre of innovation and change in the country – PM
PM Robert Abela who said that Gozo has the potential to be the centre of innovation and change in the country. Speaking at a Government event, the PM said that Gozo needs to continue increasing its posterity while maintaining its tranquility which is the main characteristic of the island. he said that it is important to sustain the digital leap in Gozo. The new digital sector economy should be the centre of its skills and creativity. He said that one out of every four Gozitan students at University have studied Mathematics, Engineering and IT.
Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri said that the Government’s policy for Gozo looks at opportunities and not challenges. He said that over the last few years, the rate of economic growth in Gozo has exceeded that of Malta and the island has seen an increase of 13 people who have begun working in Gozo every week.
Education think tank work stalled – PN
The Nationalist Party said that a COVID-19 education think tank set up in May with instructions to report back with a report in September only met for the first time in December. The group had been set up by then Education Minister Owen Bonnici last May and was meant to look at the future of education and find challenges and opportunities in the sector, aiming to finalise the report by September.
In a statement yesterday, the Opposition said that “Almost six months after its deadline, the education sector, teachers, parents and students have still not seen any report or any tangible proposal about moving the sector forward”.
CDE News
