LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese authorities did not allow MSC Grandiosa to enter Malta due to tens of passengers on board who have tested positive for COVID-19.
According to local reports, hundred of passengers among them Maltese and Italian holidaymakers are stuck on board the cruise ship who was sailing between Malta, Spain, France and Italy on a seven day trip.
Around 150 people were tested positive following medical tests taken during an excursion in Marseille. Although all passengers on board and the crew are all vaccinated, most of the infected passengers are Italians showing no symptoms. No Maltese on board was tested positive.
The cruise ship is on its way to Palma de Mallorca, and all passengers will be tested for COVID-19. The Maltese agent representing the cruise liner said that if the Maltese passengers on board will test negative again, they will be sent back to Malta.Meanwhile, the Maltese health authorities confirmed 1,144 new coronavirus cases while two women, aged 56 and 67 died due to the virus. The number of active cases has increased to 15,065 and 114 patients are receiving treatment at Mater Dei Hospital, of which five are in intensive care. 1,106,647 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to date, including 254,889 booster doses.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Ten Italian MEPs from the European Peoplès Party have written to the European Commission asking to guarantee that Yorgen Fenech, accused as the mastermind behind the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia or anyone else involved in her killing would not benefit from any EU funding for the gas pipeline project that will connect Malta to Sicily.
The MEPs from Italy reminded that Caruana Galiziàs son Matthew has strongly opposed EU funding since it would financially reward Yorgen Fenech, a shareholder of the Electrogas consortium. Although the gas pipeline would not be operated by Electrogas, the consortium is set to receive a sizeable payout for the termination of its gas supply contract.
The European Commission was asked to specify what measures will be taken to ensure that EU funds do not benefit anyone involved directly or indirectly in the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – All football matches in Malta are being posponed by two weeks due to the high number of COVID-19 cases and quarantine rules affecting various football clubs. The decision was taken by the Executive Committee of the Malta Football Association.
All football competitions will now restart as from January, 17.
Meanwhile, the positive cases registered during the last 24 hours continued to increase with the number of active cases stands at 14,121.
The Maltese health authorities confirmed that Malta registered 1,147 new COVID-19 cases while a 65-year-old man lost his life. 124 patients are receiving treatment at Mater Dei Hospital, of which five are in intensive care. So far, the pandemic has left 480 victims.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese authorties have once again ignored the repeated calls, this time to assist around 70 migrants stranded on an oil platform in Maltàs search and rescue zone and it is feared that the migrants will be send back to Tunisia.
According to local reports, Malta is insisting that the Tunisian and German authorities are responsible for the platform which is in Maltese waters.
On twitter, the rescue ship ‘Louise Michel’ communicated that “a Tunisian warship arrived on site. We fear that the remaining people on the platform will be pulled back illegally to Tunisia, which is not a safe country”.
The migrants are in desperate need of a safe place as the weather conditions are worsening.
Meanwhile, a further 31 people were rescued from a drifting wooden boat and are now on board the vessel funded by British artists Banksy.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – At least two-thirds of new coronavirus cases being registered in Malta have been attributed to the Omicron variant, health minister Chris Fearne said.
Writing on Twitter, Fearne said 67% of the new cases currently sequenced in Malta are now of the variant which was initially detected in South Africa.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The German government decided to put Malta on the high risk areas due to the increase of COVID-19 cases. The announcement came as the Maltese health authorties confirmed an increase in the number of patients admitted to Mater Dei hospital.
122 patients are receiving treatment at Mater Dei Hospital, of whom seven are in intensive care. During the last 24 hours, Malta has registered 812 new coronavirus cases. Altough 240 patients have recovered from coronavirus, the number of active cases stands at 13,260.
So far 1,075,996 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to date, including 227,648 booster doses.
The Chamber of Commerce and the Employers Association called on the Maltese authorities to give employers the support to enforce a mandatory vaccination of employees.
While most of the Maltese students are still in their holidays, the newly appointed Education Minister Clifton Grima said that schools should be the last to close and confirmed that most of the schools will reopen on January, 10.
Meanwhile, the increase in COVID-19 cases, led the German government to include Malta on the list of high risk areas. According to the German agency responsible for disease prevention and control – Malta, Italy, Canada and San Marino have been included on the high-risk list since they reported more than 100 infection cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last seven days. The measure means those travelling from Malta, Italy, Canada and San Marino who are not fully vaccinated must undergo a mandatory ten-day quarantine, but they can be exempted with a negative test performed after five days. Those who hold a vaccination or recovery certificate are exempt from the self-isolation rule provided that they present a valid certificate.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – In view of the daily records of COVID-19 cases registered by the Maltese health authorties, Malta welcomed the New Year with scaled down celebrations in the capital city Valletta. The original programme of events was presented on the main television stations instead of the New Year’s Eve show in Palace Square. This year’s celebrations consisted of a variety show including music, comedy and fireworks display. Meanwhile, thousands of Maltese chose to celebrate the New Year in Gozo. The increase in COVID-19 cases led to hundreds of Maltese to cancel their annual holidays abroad, and instead chose Gozo compensating for the cancellations from foreign tourists whi decided to cancel their travelling to Malta and Gozo due to the increase in COVID-19 cases.
During the last 48 hours, Malta has registered a total of 2,433 positive cases, of whom 1,030 in the last 24 hours. The total number of active cases has gone up to 12,222. The number of patients are being treated at Mater Dei Hospital decreased by one over the previous day to 99, of whom seven are in intensive care.
1,072,274 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to date, including 224,190 booster doses. In his New Year’s Eve message, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela stressed the importance of vaccination. “We all have an important part to play. First and foremost, we must all get vaccinated against the virus. I urge one and all to take the vaccine, with the booster vaccine now also available”.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The rise of COVID-19 cases in Malta continued during the last 24 hours, with the local health authorities confirmed a new daily record of 1,353 new cases. An increase was also recorded in the number of COVID-19 patients receving treatment at Mater Dei hospital. 94 patients are being treated at Mater Dei hospital, an increase of 12 patients on the previous day. 6 patients are in the intensive care unit.
The local health authorities reported that the total number of active cases increase to 10,136 following the recovery of 172 patients.
1,060,424 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to date, including 213,816 booster doses.
Following pressure from the Opposition and the business community, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne announced that people infected with coronavirus and their contacts have to quarantine to 10 days instead of 14 days, if they have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose and showing no symptoms in the last three days.
Meanwhile, the union representing the teachers declared that it would be impossible to open the schools next week considering the present situation.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has yet again set a new daily record, with 1,337 new cases of Covid-19 reported on Wednesday. 82 patients are being treated at Mater Dei Hospital, of whom 6 are in intensive care.
The total number of registered active cases has gone up to 8,956. The transmission rate of Covid-19 is the second-highest in the EU when considering the record number of 1,298 cases on Tuesday. Malta has reported 5,889 cases of Covid-19 in the past 7 days – an average of 841 cases a day.
1,052,035 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to date, including 206,611 booster doses.
The Medical Association of Malta said that as Malta reports record numbers of Covid-19 infections, further measures should be put in place to help health professionals working in Maltàs health system cope with numbers.
MAM President Martin Balzan confirmed that the number of hospitalisations remained on an upward trend with around 10 to 16 patients are admitted to hospital with Covid-19 daily – while the total number of cases has hit record levels. And if the present trends persist, according to the MAM president, Mater Dei Hospital may yet be overwhelmed, which would require even more stringent measures.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese health authorities confirmed that 1,298 new COVID-19 cases were registered in the last 24 hours; the highest number of positive cases in one day since the beginning of the pandemic. This means that over one in every six people examined was found positive to COVID-19.
The number of active cases increased to 7,735 following the new registered cases and the new recoveries. According to the local health authorities, 82 patients recovered from COVID-19, however, 82 patients are still receiving treatment at Mater Dei hospital, if whom five are in the intensive care unit.
So far, a total of 1,043,069 vaccine doses had been administered, including 198,772 booster doses.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry is encouraging retired nurses and health professionals to return to the public health sector to reinforce the Covid-19 response efforts.
In a week marked by a sharp increase in cases, the number of fines issued by the police for breaches of Covid-19 regulations has effectively remained unchanged. The police issued 206 fines last week following the 203 fines issued in the previous week.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews