LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has registered a new record of new COVID-19 cases. The local health authorties declared that 582 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours, the highest number to date since the beginning of the pandemic.
Two men aged 52 and 53-year have also died of coronavirus, bringing the total number of victims up to 473. According to the latest Covid update, 2,991 cases are active, of which 47 are in hospital. Four patients are receiving intensive care at Mater Dei hospital. Public Health consultant Dr. Tanya Melillo declared that the new cases expected to continue increasing in the coming days and stressed that it was highly unlikely for Covid-19 numbers to decrease before the end of the year. Although the Omicron variant of Covid-19 has not yet been confirmed by the Maltese health authorities, Melillo confirmed that the public health authorities are working on the assumption that it has already reached Malta.
The present increase in positive cases is putting Mater Dei Hospital at breaking point. Dr Melollo added that the existing measures are not being respected with people not wearing masks in public spaces and at their workplace, while still socialising in crowds. Another reason behind the increase in positive cases is that the effect of the vaccines is waning among people who still need to receive the booster shot. The booster, which is set to be offered to the entire population, has just been made available to over-35s this week. So far, a total of 1,019,517 vaccine doses had been administered, including 177,989 booster doses. Meanwhile, the President of Malta George Vella and his wife Miriam are self-isolating after they were in close contact with a tested positive for Covid-19. All appointments have either been rescheduled or will be held in his absence. The union representing the nurses is urging the Maltese government to reintroduce restrictions to bring the situation under control.
The Malta Employers’ Association also called for stricter COVID-19 measures in view of the rising cases and warned that Government inaction might lead to a serious economic slowdown during the first quarter of 2022. MEA director Joseph Farrugia said public health policies should not be subject to popular opinion and emphasised that all necessary actions are to be taken to minimise the negative effects of the pandemic. Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said that Malta needs a Cabinet of Ministers that is focused on the challenges it is facing and asked whether Prime Minister Robert Abela will act and take timely decisions in order to bring the number of coronavirus cases under control or whether he is going to give in to the pressure he is currently facing following the latest political scandals involving government MPs and cabinet members.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “The health situation is increasingly tense. The spread of the Omicron variant is phenomenal, demonstrating that one cannot rely only on vaccines, including third and subsequent doses, perhaps every 6 months, to obtain partial protection. The inconsistencies of health policies in response to the pandemic contribute to generating a climate of uncertainty and mistrust in the population.
A study conducted by researchers from Sapienza University, University of Tor Vergata, IRCCS and University of San Raffaele, in collaboration with the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, and the University of Miami has shown that a combination of natural substances (polyphenols and activators of sirtuins) inhibits viral replication and reduces inflammation “. Camillo Ricordi, tricolor brain in force in the USA, director of the Diabetes Research Institute and Cell Transplant Center at the University of Miami.
“Trans-resveratrol, pterostilbene, ellagic acid and onochiol are key ingredients of the A5 + compound, contained in the SIRT500 Plus product. This product was initially developed to slow down the aging processes. The results obtained on several cell lines have been the first to demonstrate once an important inhibition of viral replication, after infection with both the influenza A virus and that of Sars-CoV-2”, adds the scientist who reconstructs the genesis of the project.
“International researchers are working on a project that, born as the ‘Batman Project’ and now renamed Fit4Pandemic.org, aims to make the human species ‘resistant’ to severe viral infections, autoimmunity (from type 1 diabetes to the other 100 autoimmune diseases affecting 20% of the population) and chronic diseases linked to aging (affecting over 90% of over 65) – continues Ricordi – also associated with the serious complications of Covid-19. Bats have learned to evolve over 70-80 million years, to become resistant to such pandemics. The goal is now to make the human species resistant too.
“Studies are underway – explains Ricordi – to define the mechanisms associated with this important inhibition of viral replication in vitro, which does not appear to be limited to a single variant of the virus. These results could pave the way for the development of ‘natural’ therapeutic strategies. to mitigate or block the progression of viral infections, in addition to vaccines and other drug therapies”, remarks the scientist who laments the absence of interest from the pharmaceutical industry: “In the absence of major pharmaceutical interests, perhaps also for the simplicity of the protocol, the absence of patents and the limited costs of the proposed treatments, urgent institutional commitments and philanthropic contributions could allow to carry out the rigorous clinical verification of the proposed protocols”.
Fit4Pandemic.org and The Cure Alliance (www.the curealliance.org) launch an appeal “to identify possible collaborators, institutional and private sources of funding, in support of this initiative that could change international health perspectives, not only in the context of the Covid pandemic”, concludes Ricordi.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has registered the second highest number of Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. The local health authorties confirmed that during the last 24 hours, 386 new cases were detected as the number of new Covid-19 cases continued to rise. So far, Malta has not detected any cases of the Omicron variant.
With 71 confirmed recoveries, the number of active cases is now up to 2,505 including foreign students amongst them around 17 from Italy. They arrived in Malta last month as part of the ‘Erasmus Plus’ project. So far, Malta has not detected any cases of the Omicron variant.
40 patients are presently receiving treatment at Mater Dei Hospital, of whom five are still in the intensive care.
The local health authorities confirmed that around 5,000 people are currently quarantined due to COVID-19 and the number is set to increase So far, a total of 1,016,374 vaccine doses had been administered, including 175,395 booster doses.
The pandemic has claimed 471 lives in Malta to date.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Patients in Malta who suffer from epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and who need chemotherapy treatment have the right to buy the first cannabis medicine produced locally.
The Malta company Zen Pharma which employs 34 workers, obtained a licence for the research and production of medicinal cannabis and is capable of producing 12 tons of the medicine annually. The cannabis flower is imported in Malta, then dried and a number of tests are carried out to ensure the high quality of the product.
Medicinal cannabis may be purchased with a doctor’s prescription. This development will increase the patient’s access to an alternative treatment based on medicinal cannabis.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is registering a daily increase in both positive cases of coronavirus and in the number of patients who require hospital treatment due to the pandemic.
The local health authorities confirmed that the total number of patients receiving treatment at Mater Dei hospital increased to 42 patients, of whom 5 are at the Intensive Care Unit. Most of the patients in hospital are between 24-49, an age group which had not been given the booster jab yet. The health authorities are not excluded that the number of patients requiring hospital treatment will increase in the coming days.
The number of new COVID-19 cases continued to increase as well, with 252 new cases. This bring the total of active cases to 2,190.
The Superintendent of Public Health Dr. Charmaine Gauci is not ruling out that the recent increase in the positive cases is due to the Omicron cariant of COVID-19, although it has still not been found in Malta. Dr. Gauci added that travelling and socialising during the festive period are also of concern and causing an increase in the positive cases of coronavirus. The pandemic has claimed 471 people so far.
A total of 1,012,731 vaccine doses have been administered, including 172,357 booster doses.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese authorities have refused the request of German NGO Sea-Eye to disembark 233 migrants who were rescued in four operations between today and yesterday in the Maltese search-and-rescue and coordination area. Amongst the migrants, there are four pregnant women and eight children.
The Armed Forces of Malta said that “Malta is not in a position to provide a place of safety” and instead directed the German NGO to Tunisia, as the nearest port of safety.
Even tough the German NGO informed Maltàs rescue coordination centre about all developments, a search for a fifth boat in distress remains unsuccessful.
Three weeks ago, the humanitarian NGO, Alarm Phone requested the Maltese authorities to save some 430 people within Maltàs SAR. Altough Tunisia accepted the migrants to avoid a shipwreck, three of the migrants lost their life.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is registering a continuning increase of new Covid-19 cases. The local health authorities has confirmed 291 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours; thehighest number for these last nine months. With 100 confirmed recoveries, the number of known active cases is now up to1,791.22 patients are presently being treated at Mater Dei Hospital. 3 of them are in theintensive care unit. The pandemic has claimed 471 lives in Malta to date. A total of 1,007,250 vaccine doses had been administered, including 167,322 booster doses.
Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne said that Malta could expectthe Omicron variant of Covid-19 to reach Malta within days, even though no caseshave yet been detected in Malta.
Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela said “the best defence against the highlytransmissible Omicron coronavirus variant is the booster dose”. Abela said the highvaccination rate in Malta, currently at around 95%, and the booster roll-out “contributed to keeping the number of hospitalisations, especially in intensive care,stable despite the increase in cases”.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS) – A 29-year-old Italian man has been remanded in custody after being arrested for his alleged involvement in trafficking of €450,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis.
Gennaro Russo, a cafè owner from Naples living at St Paul’s Bay was arrested while driving through Naxxar. He was also found in possession of several sachets filled with drugs and around €20,000.
The man was arrested after days of surveillance by the Drug Squad in St. Paul’s Bay. During a search in a residence and garage in the same locality, and following another raid in a garage in Msida, the police found 15kg of cannabis and 1,5 kilograms of cocaine. €250,000 was also found in cash.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him, including drug trafficking, aggravated possession of drugs and money laundering. The accused had been living in Malta for nine years with no previous criminal record.
The investigations are still ongoing.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese health authorities confirmed 221 new coronavirus cases on Thursday as 153 patients recovered from the virus. This is the highest number of positive cases in the last five months.
No deaths related to coronavirus have been reported in the last 24 hours. So far, 471 deaths were confirmed due to the pandemic.
The number of active cases is at 1600, of which 20 are being treated at Mater Dei hospital. Three patients are in the intensive care unit.
To date, the health authorities have administered 1,005,114 vaccine doses of which 165,403 are booster doses.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has become the first European country to legalise cannabis for recreational use following a final parliamentary vote on Tuesday.
The 36 MPs representing the Labour government backed the bill, with 27 MPs from the Nationalist Opposition voted against. The bill becomes law once the President of Malta George Vella gives his approval which is expected by the end of this week.
The Maltese government has described the bill as the decriminalisation of cannabis, a reform which grants the legal supply, acquisition and consumption. Over 50 organisations including church entities, NGOs and social partners joined forces with the Nationalist opposition against the proposed reform. However, the NGO ReLeaf – established to promote a reform in cannabis policy – was the most influential voices in support of the reform. At present, people found in possession of up to 3.5g of cannabis are no longer arraigned in court. Instead, they appear before a Justice Commissioner who can impose fines from €50-100. However, they may still be detained by the police for up to 48 hours, with the stated aim of obtaining information about their suppliers. Through the new reform, this regime is only kept in place for those found in possession of 7-28g of cannabis.
Individuals can cultivate up to 4 plants for personal use while the law also paves the way for the creation of non-profit organisations which would cultivate cannabis for the exclusive use of their members. Members would be limited to receiving no more than 7g in a single day, with a monthly limit of 50g.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews