News

COVID-19, more positive cases led Malta to open new voting centres

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – As Malta goes to the polls for a general election on Saturday, the local health authorities continued to register an increase in positive cases of Covid-19 and in patients who had to be hospitalised for medical treatment.

This led the Electoral Commission to set up three additional voting centres for people who are Covid positive or who are in mandatory quarantine. Last week the commission announced that four centres will be set up to facilitate the vote for people in isolation. To date some 4,200 voters are set to vote in the seven centres and the commission urged voters to vote early the centres will close at 10pm on Saturday like all other polling stations.

During the last 24 hours, 465 new cases were detected while 127 patients recovered from the virus. The total number of active cases increased to 3,590.

The number of positive patients referred to hospital for medical treatment also continued to increase as 77 patients are being treated for Covid-19 at Mater Dei hospital, with three patients in intensive care.

Following the death of an 81-year-old woman, the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in Malta stands at 627.

1,254,627 vaccine doses have been administered thus far, 349,561 of which are booster doses.
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta, political campaign ends, voting on Saturday

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Five weeks of electoral campaigning came to an end last night, as Malta will vote on Saturday to elect a new government and a new parliament. The general election campaign ended with Labour Prime Minister Robert Abela addressing a huge of enthusiastic supporters during an animated event in Tà Qali while the Nationalist leader Bernard Grech made his final speech before a big crowd of supporters gathered in Valletta.
Final opinion polls envisage an electoral win for the Labour Party with a margin between 26,000 and 39,000 votes. It is also predected a low turnout of 88%, the lowest since 1955. Both leaders used their final speeches before silent day to address the undecided voters as fear mounts that there will be a lower turnout this year. A total of 14,473 voting documents were not collected, almost double that of the previous election.
Labour Leader Robert Abela stressed that staying home is not an option, and that people should go out and vote. “Let your vote be the answer. Lend me your trust for my very first mandate,” adding that he will continue building on the good foundations and bring about more reforms. “Let’s turn this dream into reality. Together with you – students, pensioners and businesses. The future is bright”, Abela said.
Opposition leader Bernard Grech said that if voters do not to want to be treated like numbers, if they want to live in country where meritocracy rules over nepotism and submission to power, if they want to be proud of their country, if people want to live in a safe country, they have only one option. That of voting PN. “Democracy is at stake” and only the Nationalist Party can offer hope of a better future. He added “Malta is once again at a crossroads, and allow me to address you as a father who doesn’t distinguish between his children. Grech said “Malta is calling us and we must realise that democracy is at stake, with a near total collapse of the country’s institutions.”
A new generation will be voting for the first time this Saturday, being the first general election in which the voting age has been lowered from 18 to 16.
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta, new Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta continued to register an increase in Covid-19 cases and in the number of patients referred to medical treatment at Mater Dei hospital.
The local health authorties confirmed that in the last 24 hours, 415 new cases were registered and 131 patients recovered from the virus. This brings the total number of active cases to 3.253.
Meanwhile, more patients were hospitalized for medical treatment bringing the total number of patients being treated for Covid-19 in hospital to 75. Two of the patients are being treated at the Intensive Care Unit. In the last 24 hours no deaths were registered due to coronavirus. The total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in Malta remained at 626.
1.254.115 vaccine doses have been administered thus far, 349.154 of which are booster doses.
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta registers spike in COVID-19 cases

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese health authorties confirmed that COVID-19 cases and patients receiving treatment while positive for coronavirus are on the increase.
The medical bulletin published on Wednesday confirms 375 new cases bringing the total number of active cases to 2,969.
Meanwhile during the last 24 hours there was an increase of 20 patients who needed medical treatment at Mater Dei hospital. 63 patients are being treated for COVID-19, while two more patients, aged 87 and 93, lost their life due to the pandemic bringing the total number of deaths to 626.
1,253,673 vaccine doses have been administered so far, 348,922 of which are booster doses.
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Maltàs grey-listing, more than 100 firms ceased operations

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Malta Financial Services Authority announced that more than 100 licensed firms and funds renounced their operational license since Malta was grey-listed by the Financial Action Task Force.
Maltese Finance Minister Clyde Caruana recently declined to give such information to Parliament. Prior to grey listing, the Finance Minister answered questions with all relevant details on firms who opted to close their Malta operations.
This negative trend which started in 2018, includes surrendered licenses related to operation of financial services firms, specific sub funds and SICAV companies.
Last October, an EY Malta survey revealed that Maltàs attractiveness for business reached an all-time low.
A delegation from FATF is expected to visit Malta next month to assess the government’s anti-money laundering measures and the fight against the financing of terrorism.
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta, EP President Metsola casts her vote for the general election

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – LThe President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, casted her vote for the Maltese general election on Saturday morning, urging those eligibile to vote to fulfil their democratic duty and do the same. Voting a week prior to the official date, Metsola told the press at the Naxxar Counting Hall Complex that she had carried out her duty and voted, a duty which she said “was an important democratic process which our predecessors fought hard for.”
She also remarked that the Russian invasion of Ukraine shows how important it is to safeguard and defend the democratic process every single day, allowing it to function and thrive. “”It is most important that we all participate in the democratic process, especially in the light of what is happening in Ukraine, with a war that is occurring at our door. This proves that democracy should be fought for every day”. The general elections in Malta will be held on 26 March 2022.
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta, Fatf’s visit to discuss anti-money laundering progress

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that experts from the Financial Action Task Force will be visiting Malta ahead of a plenary session schedule in June. He was addressing students as part of the general election campaign. In June 2021, the international group of anti-money laundering included Malta in the list of countries under enhanced monitoring, often referred as the “grey list,” becoming the first and only EU country to be grey listed by the FATF. Earlier this month, the FATF plenary confirmed that Malta “addressed or largely addressed the action plan at the technical level”. In an action plan agreed with the FATF, Malta made a political commitment to focus its financial intelligence capabilities on tax evasion and money laundering and increase transparency on anonymous shell companies. Maltese Prime Minister Abela said that the government managed to address the 85 points raised by the FATF over a short period of time in spite of the coronavirus pandemic. He added that after the visit which would verify if Malta implemented its anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing reforms, a plenary would be held in June. It would then be decided whether Malta would be kept on the grey list or otherwise.
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Covid, Malta to ease restrictions but increase in positive cases

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese health authorities continued to register an increase in COVID-19 cases for the third consecutive day. This is the first increase in two months since last January while the Maltese government continued to ease the restrictions in public places.
In today’s medical bullettin, the health authorities announced 304 new cases and 115 recoveries, bringing the total of positive cases to 1,861.
The Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci said that the increase in positive cases shows that “the pandemic is still here” and appealed for responsability particulary during political mass events as Malta is heading to a general election on March, 26.
Covid-19 has claimed the life of an 84-year-old woman, taking the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in Malta to 619. 50 patients are receiving treatment for Covid-19 in hospital, with one patient in intensive care.
Meanwhile, the government announced that mask wearing is no longer obligatory in outdoor public spaces. However mask wearing remained obligatory for indoor spaces such as offices and shops, and for mass events.
Malta is expecting to remove almost all preventive measures against the pandemic by the beginning of summer.
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Brexit, Malta allocated 35 million from the European Commission

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Due to the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, the European Commission has allocated over 35 million to Malta. By the end of the month, the Maltese government will be receiving over 13 million for 2021, another 10.5 million for 2022, and 10.7 million for 2023.
The Maltese government said that this fund will be used as soon as possible to alleviate the economic burden that many businesses adversely affected by Brexit, will face. The Member States may use the funding until 31 December 2023 to cover expenses incurred and paid since 1 January 2020.
According to the European Commission, this money will help member countries’ economies to alleviate the extra costs of the impact of Brexit on various economic sectors – small and medium-sized enterprises, job creation, and training, among others.
European Cohesion and Reform Commissioner, Elisa Ferreira, said Brexit has had a negative impact on the lives of European citizens, and said the Brexit Adjustment Reserve would be making up for the social and regional economic repercussions.
The Brexit Adjustment Reserve of 5.4 billion has been put in place to support all Member States with a strong focus on those most affected.
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta, Russian invasion of Ukraine will cost €200 million economically

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese government is estimating that Malta will suffer an economic loss of €200 million as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Maltese Finance Minsiter Clyde Caruana declared his worries during a debate organised by the Malta Chamber of Commerce. “I am more worried about the war, than I was worried about COVID-19, in economic terms. This is not just a war with bombs, but it is an economic war and its impact will not be small,” Caruana explained. However he added that the Maltese government put aside funds to buffer this economic shock.
Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela pledged to guarantee stable prices in gas, fuel and energy for the foreseeable future.
Altough Abela said that Malta was facing a problem to source LPG used in households as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Liquigas Malta said that it has secured supplies of LPG to meet the demand in Malta for the foreseeable future, thanks to the support of SHV Energy, a Dutch company shareholder of Liquigas Malta.
As the Ukraine crises deepens, the Opposition Leader Bernard Grech is proposing a temporarily fix of the price of bread.
Both Russia and Ukraine are among the world’s top five wheat exporters and a prolonged war will lead to shortages and steep increases in the price of basic foods such as bread and pasta.
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

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