Update 1835
Arrivals from China to Malta require negative COVID-19 test
As of the 9th of January arrivals from China have to be in possession of a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test from Monday to be allowed into Malta. The announcement was made through a legal notice issued by the Superintendent of Public Health. Malta’s decision follows a number of other EU countries who are imposing mandatory tests for Chinese visitors following the surge in cases in China. According to the new legal notice, travellers will have to perform the test no more than 48 hours prior to their arrival in Malta. Children who are 11 years old or younger are exempt.
Updated 1630
The Times of Malta reports that Leisure Clothing’s managing director Han Bin and marketing director Jia Liu, both Chinese nationals, were given six-year jail terms on Friday and escorted out of court to Corradino Correctional Facility.
Maltatoday says that Mater Dei doctors told court earlier today that Andrea Prudente was not at risk of death when her baby’s amniotic sac ruptured. The baby had ‘a chance, not a great one, that it could live’, a doctor said.
The Malta Independent reveals that two weeks after redundancy, 130 Genesis Global workers have still not been paid what they are owed.
Newsbook reports that NGO Flimkien Għal-Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) has slammed government’s bid to declassify parts of the Qawra and Sliema Chalet seashores under the Public Domain Act.
Updated 1230
Experts still compiling reports on Corradino collapse
Expert appointed by Court are still compiling reports into a building collapse in Corradino that killed a 20-year-old man just over a month ago, The Times of Malta has reported. Jean Paul Sofia died and five others were injured when the building under construction in an industrial estate partially collapsed late last year. In a recent update, the police said that three of those who were critically injured have since been released from intensive care and are no longer in danger. The victim’s mother, Isabelle Bonnici, last week said the family had been left in the dark with neither the authorities nor those responsible for the site having contacted them since the incident.
Silvio Parnis to get Ġieħ ir-Repubblika
The Prime Minister will propose that late Labour MP Silvio Parnis, who passed away at 57 on Tuesday, be honoured with Malta’s highest award, Ġieħ ir-Repubblika. The Labour Party parliamentary group unanimously agreed with a proposal put forward by Robert Abela to posthumously nominate Parnis for a Republic Day honour. In a statement on Thursday, the PL said Parnis made significant social contributions wherever he worked. Parnis’ was laid to rest this morning after a funeral ceremony in Paola. (Maltatoday)
Malta accused of ignoring persons in distress
Maltese authorities are being accused by NGOs of ignoring a distress call to rescue some 75 people at sea. NGO Alarm Phone said that the asylum seekers have been reportedly rescued by Italy. “Although the authorities do not provide us with information, we believe that the ~75 people in distress arrived in Lampedusa. Once more, the authorities of Malta failed to conduct a rescue in the vast Maltese Search and Rescue zone,” Alarm Phone tweeted on Thursday. The NGO, which operates a hotline for people crossing the Mediterranean in hopes of reaching Europe, had earlier said that the asylum seekers, including sick and elderly people, didn’t have food or water and were asking for urgent assistance. (Newsbook)
Morning Briefing
Viable foetus argument not enough say anti-abortion activists
An anti-abortion coalition claimed that governments intends on legalising abortion up until 24 weeks of pregnancy, while keeping late-term abortions illegal. In a statement, the ‘Inti Tista’ Ssalvani’ coalition said that “if this amendment is made law, Malta will have a more extreme abortion law than most EU countries,” said Miriam Sciberras, chairperson of the Life Network Foundation. The Deputy PM said that government will be amend the clause to state that a foetus that is viable and can live outside of the womb should be birthed. (Maltatoday)
Man charged with harassing partner, resisting police
A Cospicua man was granted bail after being accused of harassing his partner. The self-employed tattooist allegedly caused some commotion when he turned up outside his estranged partner’s family home at around 9.30am, insisting on seeing the couple’s minor child. Police were called in and had to use a taser gun to bring the situation under control. The man, a tatooist, was also charged with violently resisting two police officers during the incident outside the woman’s Paola home, slightly injuring his partner’s father, insulting and threatening the woman beyond the limits of provocation as well as breaching the peace. (Times of Malta)
LESA invests 1 million euro from fines into localities
LESA agency has returned over one million euro in fines to local councils to implement 20 different projects around Malta and Gozo with a value of 1.1 million euro raised through summonses. This financing will allow some 60 projects to be carried out in three years through an investment of 3.5 million euro. This will include investment in safety aspects in localities; the development of new spaces presently in a derelict state; the improvement of existing open space and the restoration of historic places. (TVM)
