Malta is dealing with a record number of cases of Covid-19. Overnight, Malta has registered another 69 new COVID-19 cases, and with a record 72 cases reported on Saturday and 63 others on Sunday, this means that the last three days have each seen more Covid-19 cases reported in Malta than any other day since the start of the pandemic.
The total number of active cases has now reached 607. The 69 new cases bring the total number of Covid-19 cases reported in Malta up to 1,375, with 759 patients making a recovery. The pandemic has claimed 9 lives.
Today, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne annunced further restrictive measures to control the transmission of COVID-19.
As from next Wednesday; clubs, nightclubs, discos and bars will be closed. Bars will be permitted only where they form part of a restaurant complex. In these cases, only dining patrons will be served. Boat parties will be banned as from Wednesday too.
Groups will be limited to under 15 persons and groups of more persons will be breaking the law. Masks will now become obligatory together with social distancing and sanitizing will be obligatory in all closed public spaces and where social distancing will not be possible. Fines will be applicable. In private cars, masks are not obligatory if a person is on his own. Masks are obligatory in public transport.
Weddings will be limited to ‘restaurant rules’ with regards to distancing and serving of food. This will be applicable as from the 28th August. All weddings guest need to be seated.
The new measures follow a meeting which was held on Sunday afternoon between the Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela and the Minister of Health.
(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews

Malta has registered 63 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday with the number of active cases is now 537. On Saturday, Malta reported 72 cases of coronavirus – the highest single-day increase since the beginning of the pandemic.
11 patients have made a recovery overnight. A total of 2,142 swab tests have been carried out in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number up to 156,664. To date, Malta has registered 1,306 coronavirus cases and a total of 749 patients have recoverd.
Partit Demokratiku is insisting that Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli has no option but to resign immediately, holding her responsible for the bad handling of the Covid-19 crisis which has led various countries to restrict travel to Malta. However the Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela defended Tourism Minister from calls for her resignation, saying that she followed the law. Tourism Minister Farrugia Portelli has yet to comment on the action taken against the country. Abela said that Farrugia Portelli and the government had been acting in line with the directives of the health authorities and declared that Malta could not close attractions which drew tourists.
Meanwhile, British low-cost airline EasyJet has cancelled all package holidays to Malta until the end of August and the airline will review all flights to Malta scheduled for next month. The company is offering its customers to cancel their flights to Malta. EayJet will issue a voucher which can be used in the future.
(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews

Coronavirus cases in Malta continued to surge with 31 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours. Malta has 505 active cases, 299 were registered during the last week while 54 patients have recovered, 44 of them are migrants.
While addressing a press conference this afternoon, the Superintendent of Public Health, Charmaine Gauci, said that one of the five patients at the Infectious Disease Unit, is in unstable condition and another three patients are in intensive care.
Malta has banned all mass events, and that there could only be one person for every 4 metres squared. This has been extended to bars, nightclubs and discos. There is also a capping on the amount of people.
Meanwhile, Malta is increasingly being considered as an unsafe destination in view of its COVID-19. Travellers from Malta to UK will be forced to quarantine for 14 days and Denmark has banned all non-essential travel to Malta. The Danish travel company FolkeFerie, which runs the Mellieha Holiday Centre popularly referred to as the Danish Village, has informed its clients that all upcoming holidays to Malta have had to be cancelled. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia are requesting a 2-week quarantine on arrivals from Malta. Such a quarantine is recommended, though not mandated, in Belgium and the Netherlands. All arrivals are to be tested in Italy, with some Italian regions imposing a quarantine over and above this requirement.
(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews

The COVID-19 situation in Malta has deteriorated significantly leading to a sudden and sharp increase in number of positive cases. The Maltese government announced that the total number of active cases stands at 486; 49 cases were confirmed during the last 24 hours. Since last March, 1,190 cases have been registered. 40 patients who have tested positive for coronavirus are receiving treatment in various hospitals, and a person who is in critical condition is now receiving intensive care.
Among the newly registered cases, six cases have been linked to Mount Carmel Hospital where patients with mental heath problems receive treatment. Four more cases are linked to the Jurassic Park film crew and three cases are linked to the Balzan Football club.
The local health authorities said that contact tracing is still underway for the rest of the 36 cases. Mount Carmel Hospital has suspended its visiting hours with immediate effect. Balzan FC confirmed that it is in contact with all the relevant authorities and is putting all the required precautionary measures in place. This will include a temporary halt to squad training, until all players and officials are tested and cleared for the virus. Sta Venera Lightnings had announced that a player forming part of their first-team squad had tested positive while Tarxien Rainbows said that a member of their U-17 squad also had COVID-19. Local reports confirmed that on Wednesday evening the Malta Football Association Council will meet to take a decisive position to ensure health and safety issues. The national football leagues are expected to start next month.
Waterpolo is also being affected by positive cases of coronavirus. The national association announced that the game between Saint Julians and Birzebbuga was cancelled after it emerged that one of the players was confirmed positive for COVID-19.
Meanwhile several Italian regions also imposed restrictions on people travelling from Malta in the last few days. One of the latest regions which has introduced restrictions on arrivals from neighbouring Malta is Sicily. The neighbouring region is imposing a two week quarantine and a mandatory swab test. The restrictions which will come in to effect as from August 14, were published in a legal notice signed by governor Nello Musumeci.
Passengers arriving in Belgium and the Netherlands from Malta are encouraged to self-quarantine and undertake a COVID-19 test as a precautionary measure against virus-spreading.
So far, the Malta Tourism Authority has conducted over 500 inspections at various establishments and at organised events that included weddings, a sporting event and cultural events. 12 establishments were found in breach of COVID-19 protocols and will be subject to further legal action.
(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews

The second wave of Covid 19 has commenced in Malta. Only today, Malta has registered 49 new cases of COVID-19, the second highest number of positive patients confirmed in four months, since April, 7. The total number of active cases is now 311. So far, Malta has reported 995 cases of Covid-19, with 675 patients making a recovery. However, the pandemic has also claimed 9 lives.
Associations and unions representing the medical professions are expecting that such high and drastic number of Covid-19 cases to continue to be registered for a number of weeks. The numbers of Covid-19 cases had increased by over 150% in one day reaching a new record level of local cases.
In a press conference addressed this morning by the Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela and Minister for Health Chris Fearne, it was announced that mass events will be banned, and only those with fewer than 100 people inside and 300 outside will go ahead. Visits to the elderly in residential homes and to patients at hospitals will be restricted too. The government did not confirm whether schools will open next month due to the increase of COVID-19 cases.
An 8 hour meeting of the Malta Councel for Economic and Social Development which ended at 2am of last night failed to lead to an agreement between Medical Association of Malta (MAM) and the government delegation led by Prime Minister. According to MAM, the directives at Mater Dei Hospital will continue, and the association is urging the government to implement emergency setup at Maltàs general hospital.
The Maltese government is acknowledging that mass events are problematic and agreed to issue stiffer regulations, more strict enforcement with the introduction of fines. Masks indoors would be made obligatory and police would be enforcing wearing of masks indoors. €50 fine will be imposed for not wearing masks in shops and on public transport. Government officials including civil servants would start wearing masks in public media events.
The government proposal to allow mass and public events of up to 300 people was deemed absurd and dangerous by MAM. Another proposal to limit the number to 60 indoors and 100 outdoors was also not accepted. However this proposal was accepted by the union of nurses under the condition that the government will introduce a rigorous enforcement. Therefore, the union has suspended all directives which were to start today.
The US centre of disease control, which is the most reputable institution in the world on infectious disease, advised American citizens not to travel to Malta because of the high risk of Covid, raising the prospect that Malta would be blacklisted by more EU countries.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

Source: medNews

The Maltese government is under constant pressure to take the necessary actions to address the spread of coronavirus amongst the population.
According the official statistics issued by the local health authorities, during the last two weeks 207 new cases of COVID-19 were registered. So far, Malta has a total of 267 active cases, 670 patients have recovered and nine patients lost their life. An Italian man, aged 27 from Umbria tested positive for Covid-19 and is suspected to have caught the virus while on holiday in Malta some days ago. The man lives in Stroncone in the province of Terni. He was symptomatic when health workers of the Terni Health District administered a swab test which resulted positive for Covid-19.
Associations and unions representing various medical professions are calling the Maltese Prime Minister to cancel all mass events, while constituted bodies representing employers from different sectors of the economy declared that the Maltese government cannot continue to deny the present situation. “Safeguarding public health and stimulating the economy should not come at each other’s expense,” said Malta Employers’ Association Director Joseph Farrugia. Even the President of the Hotel and Restaurants Association Tony Zahra who was in favour of the government’s decision to open the airport for tourists, declared that “possibly the country opened for mass events too fast.”
Following the rise in local COVID-19 cases, four EU countries; Ireland, Lativia, Lithuania and Estonia already removed Malta from their own safe travel list. The Mediterranean island which highly depends on the British market, is also at risk of being removed from the UK’s safe travel list.
The Medical Association reported that 95% of its members have compiled to its directives as a protest against the government for refusing its calls to ban the organisation of mass events. As from tomorrow, even the nurses will start to follow other directives issued by their union. According to the nurses’ union, if Malta keeps registering high new cases of COVID-19 for the next seven days, such new cases will be considered to be the second wave, and Malta will risk another partial lock down as the one in previous March.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

Source: medNews

Malta is set to re-open its film industry, starting with Universal Pictures’ blockbuster movie – Jurassic World: Dominion, by August.
The Malta Film Commission can confirm that filming for Jurassic World: Dominion will commence by the end of August. The Malta Film Commission is fully collaborating with the Health Authority to make sure all safety precautions are kept with strict protocols.
Maltàs Minister for Tourism, Julia Farrugia Portelli stated that “the Malta Film Commission is expecting 9 international productions during this year. Starting with Jurassic World: Dominion, other multi million projects will follow with huge investment in our economy, creating more jobs to anyone working in the film industry in Malta.” Over 1000 crew are expected to work on Jurassic World: Dominion in Malta.
“As Film Commission, wève been working hard to attract the Universal Pictures blockbuster since April 2019. Our recently-introduced incentives, the 40% cash-back for productions, serves as a key incentive to studios & film-makers to consider Malta for film and TV productions” Film Commissioner Johann Grech stated.
“Malta will continue to show its potential globally, and as Malta Film Commission, we are proud to host Jurassic World. We are always hands-on to give the support and resources to producers,” the Film Commissioner concluded.
The latest Jurassic World Movie released in 2018 managed to make $1.3 billion worldwide, ranking 15th worldwide.
Last year, the Malta Film Commission managed to generate more than €40 million into the Maltese economy, attracting a total of 21 productions.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

Source: medNews

The Maltese government has issued a call for expression of interest for the provision of vessels to “keep migrants in quarantine”. This decision was announced today, as the country registered a spike in positive cases of COVID-19 especially amongst migrants who were allowed to enter Malta in recent days. As from last Monday, two groups of migrants arrived in Malta; 85 out of 113 were found positive for COVID-19.
Throughtout the peak of the pandemic, the Maltese government paid €1.7 million to local operators, to keep 400 migrants on private vessels out at sea for various weeks.
The Home Affairs Ministry said that all necessary precautions have already been taken in cases where migrants have been found positive for COVID-19 and in such cases they have always been kept isolated. The Maltese government has even opened a Red Cross-operated clinic in Hal Far open centre.
“The government is working hard to control the arrivals of migrants in Malta. In recent weeks thousands of migrants who began their journey from Libya have been rescued in Libyan waters and taken back. Work has also continued on re-locations and those not eligible for protection were sent back to their country of origin.” The Maltese Government declared that Malta will continue to honour ts legal and international obligations when migrants are in distress in Malese waters. “At this stage, the Maltese government felt that there should be also the option of using vessels to control and manage the situation better.” The use of such vessels must complement the work carried out by the Maltese government, which is primarily focused on preventing arrivals of migrants, and these will be only used when the Armed Forces of Malta “have no choice except to save migrants from drowning”.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

Malta has registered a dramatic increase in new COVID-19 cases in just a week bringing the total to 112 cases.
The new cases are related to the organisation of mass events and the arrival of migrants on the island. The Maltese authorities are issuing licenses permitting parties and local festivities.
The Maltese health authorities confirmed that most of the registered cases during the last week are related to a pool party organised in one of the main hotels in St. Julian’s and the local village feast of Saint Venera. However, 66 from a group of 94 migrants were tested positive on their arrival to Malta last Monday.
The total number of cases reported in Malta so far stands at 786, with 665 patients recovering from Covid-19 so far. The pandemic has claimed 9 lives in Malta so far. The total number of swab tests carried out in Malta is up to 123,963.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

Melvin Theuma who had been granted a presidential pardon in connection with the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, has been hospitalised after being found seriously injured in his Swieqi home on Tuesday night. He was found with his throat slit in the bathroom and had large wounds in his abdominal as well as his wrist.
In a press conference addressed by the Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà, it was said that Theuma sustained stab wounds which appeared to be self-inflicted. Gafà declared that Theuma had never indicated any suicidal thoughts before yesterday’s attempt and there were no known threats to his life.
The police were alerted by Theumàs lawyer Kathleen Grima after he failed to answer her calls. The police officer stationed outside his home entered inside, accompanied by Theumàs wife, discovering Theuma lying injured with a knife in his hand.
The police stated that while the investigations were ongoing, they have immediately requested the duty magistrate to carry out an inquiry.
Theuma had been granted a presidential pardon last December, when he was arrested over a money laundering charge. He admitted to being a middleman in the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, and his testimony has served to implicate Yorgen Fenech, the former CEO of Tumas Group who stands accused as the mastermind of the murder.
Fenech’s defence team is requesting the Maltese courts for Theumàs mobile phone to be presented to the court and has called for an investigation into yesterday evening’s incident. Today, Theuma had to testify on recordings that “were lost” or “could not be found” by the Police. The defence team representing Jorgen Fenecg also alleged that these recordings are kept hidden by the police.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

Source: medNews