Zach Demarco, Rafel Sammut and Tony Farrugia. MEP Alfred Santis supporting an appeal from the European Trade Union Confederation on extraordinary macroeconomic measures to tackle the COVID-19 emergency. Note how Singapore and South Korea appeared poised for massive outbreaks, but then rapidly fall down the list. A company sent 6.6m to buy alcohol gels and surgical masks to a company registered in Singapore but never received the goods. This feed updates continuously 24/7 so check back regularly. 4.42pm When authorities ordered bars and restaurants to shut, chef and restauranteur Rafel Sammut planned on adapting his business into a delivery service. Don't miss out! When washing or cleaning your hands, you need to ensure all parts of your hands are being cleaned. Ensure you are eating healthy foods our immune systems need to be in optimal condition during these times. Read More COVID-19 As from 09/01/2023: Anyone travelling to Malta FROM CHINA, shall be in possession of a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test done not more than 48 hours prior to arrival in Malta. 12.40pmGauci is reiterating that the police can now disperse any groups of five people or more. In the letter, the Institute of Maltese Journalists noted that the media sector had been given financial aid by various European governments, and urged the Maltese government to do the same. Video: Joseph Calleja. Photo: AFP, One cannot even go out in their back yards and gardens because of the dust and noise let alone rest, The next few days and weeks are crucial, Abela must respond to 'OUR' crisis now, not tomorrow, The The Walter Reed Hospital flu ward during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918-19 in Washington DC. If they do not have someone to delegate responsibilities to, they should then fill in the relevant form provided by the KTP. Thank you for following us and supporting Times of Malta. Audio, 26 minutesThe Documentary Podcast, Maltese state responsible for journalist's death, Couple banned from flying over Indian-made vaccine. 2.30pm The prime minister met up - remotely, of course - with children to answer their coronavirus questions earlier today. 12.55pmAuthorities will be providing details about how to apply for a lockdown exemptions later in the day. Copyright 2023 Times of Malta. The chances of being infected through a letter or parcel are close to zero, he says. 2.48pm It's not just Boris: the UK's health secretary, Matt Hancock, has also tested positive for coronavirus. The US House of Representatives is hoping to pass the package later today. We recommend using Methanol can cause organ and brain damage, blindness and leave people in comas. 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Sophia Smith Galer explores the strength of feeling around abortion in Malta. 3.20pmBank of Valletta continues to tighten restrictions within its branches, to protect staff from exposure to coronavirus. 8.05am Two new novel coronavirus swab testing hubs will open in Malta from Thursday. Please click 'Sign in and Subscribe' to continue. Read about our approach to external linking. Forgot your password? You can unsubscribe whenever you want. TVMnews+ - TVMi.mt President George Vella, ministers Evarist Bartolo and Edward Scicluna and MP Manuel Mallia are among those over 65 who have to be in lockdown from Saturday. 480 flights to and from Malta cancelled for early 2022 - Times of Malta Enjoy and stay safe! 3. See you at EuroPride 2023! Malta (Travel Restrictions, COVID Tests & Quarantine Requirements Available for over a year. Independent Online. Independent journalism costs money. MaltaToday.com.mt - News Air Malta will still employ new workers to maintain employee levels, Finance Minister clarifies Finance Minister Clyde Caruana says Air Malta will maintain an optimum workforce level of 375 employees with eight airplanes in its fleet, but the company will still recruit new. The PN has been too. The Greens said that the country has a duty toensure a decent standard of living for all. 4.32pm Quick reminder: world-famous tenor Joseph Calleja will be performing live from his living room in 30 minutes, as a morale-booster for people in Malta and elsewhere as they live through the ongoing crisis. 10.45amForget V, U or L shaped economic cycles: the recession the world is being plunged in is looking more and more like an I-shaped one, writes Lawrence Zammit, with no end in sight. 2. First of all, according to Dr Marc Anthony Azzopardi, a lecturer with the department of electronic systems engineering, says surgical face masks are not effective in protecting the wearer from coronavirus. Italy's national health institute has cautiously suggested lockdown measures to curb the spread of the disease - which has claimed over 8,100 lives and infected some 80,000 people - may soon bear fruit. Expect deficit figures to shoot up in the coming months, as the government is forced to fork out more and earn less to try to contain the economic fallout from the coronavirus. 6pm At a news conference, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced the following measures: - There can be no public gatherings of more than five people. 3.33pmIt's not often discussed, but it's worth highlighting: smoking increases your risk of coronavirus infection, because bringing a cigarette to your lips means your hands are regularly in close proximity to your mouth. 12.45pm The daily COVID-19 health briefing will be given at 1.30pm. The US has almost 70,000 confirmed cases and at least 1,050 deaths. respiratory problems who needed treatment in last year; suggest that gaming can be a resolution to social, educational, personal or professional problems; suggest that gaming can be an alternative to employment; be a solution to financial concerns or a form of financial investment; suggest that solitary gaming is preferable to social gaming. The Malta Independent The measure was introduced because authorities were noticing people still gathering in groups outdoors, she says. What does it mean to be a citizen? After that, they will rely on friends, family or a government-run delivery service to bring them food, medicines and other essentials. The country grounded international flights as of today but has stopped short of ordering a lockdown or quarantine measures. Another proposal would see state aid regulations change to allow member states to introduce assistance to small and medium enterprises and the self-employed. 6.50pm The European Commission may allow EU member states to divert funds allocated for other projects into the health and economic sectors.The suggestion was made during a ministerial video conference led by Croatia, which currently holds the presidency seat of the Council of the EU. The story of how three teenage refugees ended up being accused of terrorism in Malta. TWEET. Spreading misinformation can have dangerous consequences. Another testing hub will operate from the Luxol Grounds in Pembroke. Nine people have died and two are . Entitlement to this support and to basic services, such as medical care, should be based on need and not on other criteria, such as immigration status.". A 61-year-old coronavirus patient who was the only one in a critical state remains in intensive care though his condition has stabilised. Since the Ornis committee, which usually legislates this sort of thing, is not meeting due to coronavirus restrictions, the FKNK wants the minister to do it by decree. MaltaToday.com.mt - News / Court & Police We recently published a revised version of our. 12.10pm We're informed that an urgent cabinet meeting has been called at Auberge de Castille. A cabinet meeting was held on Tuesday morning. Local - The Malta Independent In a Facebook post, Joslin said he failed to understand the logic how new development and construction works are taking place within a central core area of a village during the epidemic. We will be streaming the press conference live. Kristina Abela tells us:He told them he still did not know when schools would reopen. From Princess to Queen. 6.10pm Italy recorded a large spike in coronavirus deaths on Friday with 969 new victims, the worst daily record for any country since the pandemic began. "They are essential to our democracy and essential for us to get through this now. ", If you have coronavirus symptoms dial 111 or 2132 4086.If you are stuck abroad and need assistance dial 00356 2204 2200.If you are in quarantine and need help, including food or medicine delivery, dial 2141 1411.If you need education-related advice, dial 2598 1000.If you an older than 60 and need help at home, dial 25903030.If you work in the gaming industry and have questions, dial 25469111. Minister Byron Camilleri, flanked by criminologist Saviour Formosa to his right and acting police commissioner Carmelo Magri to his left. 7pm All pharmacies which are listed on the Sunday and public holidays roster have been instructed to open between 9am and noon , the Chamber of Pharmacists said in a statement. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Smoking also makes you more vulnerable to complications should you get sick with the virus, since it weakens your lungs - the very organ the COVID-19 virus attacks. Der Spiegel has reported that a number of top infection research institutes are waiting for approval to begin testing the blood of subjects to see whether they have antibodies against the COVID-19 virus.Antibody tests allow scientists to see whether a person has previously been infected with the virus and developed immunity to it. Get breaking news on politics, tourism, and its relations with the EU. Standard Publications Ltd. Get breaking news on politics, tourism, and its relations with the EU. TheUSdeath tollhas hit 1,000, according to tracking by The Washington Post. But Kentucky representative Thomas Massie is threatening to demand a roll call vote, which would force lawmakers to return to Washington DC to cast their vote. Please try different keywords. 2023 BBC. UK and US walk out on Russia children's rights envoy. 4.30pm Earlier we linked up to the video of Carmelo Pace, the 89-year-old who resorts to his mandolin to keep him company in difficult times. Gauci said the condition of a 61-year-old patient who was being treated at ITU has improved. Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said that the force was bracing itself for more crime in the coming weeks. They must be supported.". It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the United Nations and the European Union. The inspections will begin tomorrow. Malta's bread strike. But that decision has now been reversed: a government fact sheet says that people in the same house as vulnerable people will be allowed to: The fact sheet is in Maltese - we will be translating it and updating our lockdown Q&A to reflect what it states. to give them insulin shots) will still be allowed to do so, Gauci reassures. The money will go towards research led by CEPI, an international vaccine research effort which was created in 2017 to fight the Ebola virus. Malta and Gozo news on general, debate, world, sports, business, finance and lifestyle news. "I therefore call upon government to set up as soon as possible a financial package that can prop up the fourth estate in this crisis". Just listening to his voice will be a treat. Your IP address may have changed during the stream. And media houses are warning that the possibility of a country without the independent press may not be far off. A total of 33 fines were issued in relation to breach of the regulations. Any affected people who have nobody to help them buy food, tend to their animals, or who are unable to work remotely will be able to apply for a special dispensation to exclude them from the lockdown rules. More than 118,000 people in Malta are preparing for life under lockdown, with people over 65, pregnant women, the chronically ill and anyone they live with ordered to remain home as of Saturday morning. Photo: Shutterstock, Republic Street in Valletta on Wednesday. Malta and the El Hiblu 3. 9am China's president Xi Jinping told US president Donald Trump the two countries had to unite to fight the coronavirus, during a phone call the two leaders had earlier today. Here's a photo of Lidl in ejtun earlier today - the aisles are full, with people getting up early to fill their trolleys. Independent journalism costs money. *This is not applicable to children aged 11 years old or under. So too will their household members. Journalists watched, listened and asked questions online. Malta has now confirmed 129 cases of the virus. You can read our online editor Bertrand Borg's live blog from Wednesday here. He tells her about the war atrocities he faced as a child. Meanwhile, Melita clients appear to be heeding the warnings to steer away from others in public places. Audio, 15 minutesThe Queen Remembered. Malta and the El Hiblu 3. Latest news on Malta, an island country in the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Libya. Spiteri said if Maltas borders had been closed earlier, the country would not be facing as many virus cases. Respirators, worn by medical professionals as part of personal protective equipment are different. It is important that all those who have symptoms call 111 and not go directly to a hub, the health ministry said. Keep in mind that there are many questions which we do not have answers to yet. Read about our approach to external linking. Malta is the world's 10th smallest country, and became a republic in 1971. "This pandemic could be our death knell. Advertising revenues are down (drastically) and restrictions of people's movement mean newspaper sales are down, too. 9.45amSuperintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci will be giving her daily COVID-19 briefing at 12.30pm. He was only 15 at the time and, unknown to him, a suspected terrorist. Carmelo, who despite his age was until last month still entertaining hotel guests every week, urged fellow elderly to abide by the authorities advice. 8am More than one in every five Maltese residents have until midnight to stock up on food and supplies and run whatever last-minute errands they need to sort out, with people most at-risk to the coronavirus being ordered into lockdown as of Saturday. Consumption and investment in capital are in freefall, Zammit notes in a Times of Malta piece published today. 6.30pmA dire lack of protective gear for health workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most pressing threats in the fight to prevent deaths, the World Health Organization warned Friday. Keep active and eat healthy foodIf you have a treadmill, use it. The number of deaths in the UK has risen to 465, out of 9,500 confirmed cases. Earlier today, Trump said that he had had a "very good conversation" with China's president Xi Jinping, acknowledging that China had learnt a lot about the coronavirus. Malta COVID-19 Guide - Visit Malta In the meantime, Claire Caruana has put together some of the most frequently asked questions you've been asking us, together with some answers. Also, on Friday, Prof. Michael Borg, head of Infection Control at Mater Dei Hospital, will hold a 15-minute live transmission on Facebook, starting at 10am. 9.15am Several church entities said on Thursday it is becoming increasingly clear that the assistance measures given by the government so far will not be sufficient to ensure that all are able to live with dignity during the coming months. The Gozo hub will operate from 8am to 2pm while the Pembroke point will operate between 8am and 8pm. Wearing a mask in public can be counter-productiveMasks are important in a medical setting, where people are in close contact with infected people. It cannot be smelled or tasted in drinks. VALLETTA, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The Mediterranean islands of Malta became the latest European nation on Thursday to tighten COVID-19 restrictions as virus numbers hit a new record for a second. "There are sufficient buses to transport everyone," the company said. Police officers in France are threatening to stop enforcing the country's lockdown measures unless they get protective equipment. He noted that the virus had passed from human to animal, rather than vice-versa, and reassured people that we consider the risk to people to be small. Malta retains first spot in ILGA Europe Ranking in 2022. Kindly check your inbox after sign-up to confirm subscription. 33,525 of those have recovered, while 429 have died. Audio, 27 minutesHeart and Soul, Malta: The Island where abortion is a crime. A total of 21,297 have fallen victim to it. Sorry, no headlines or news topics were found. But that is most likely not the true number, Gauci says. If you dont, spend 15-20 minutes walking around the house. Heres an English-language summary of what Borg emphasised:1. It's the work of IT adviser Clayton Axisa, who used data from John Hopkins University to put it together. If you appreciate the work we do and would like to keep it going, consider donating to Times of Maltaand urging your local MPs to push for the media to be supported during this difficult time. The European Commission said that member states would benefit from joint procurement of personal protective equipment. But Facebook and Google have decimated our revenues and made monetisation a challenge. President of Malta George Vella said that now is the time to move from words to action and do whatever is necessary to use the Maltese language correctly. Get the day's top headlines delivered to your inbox. Media organisations do not currently qualify for financial aid announced earlier this week. Yesterday, Health Minister Chris Fearne had said that anyone living with over 65s, pregnant women or people with specific chronic conditions would also have to remain indoors as of Saturday. Spain recorded more than 700 deaths between Tuesday and Wednesday surpassing China in the global death toll - making the country now second to only Italy. 9.39amLocal councils have been live streaming sessions for years. Assignment. Video, 00:00:30, UK and US walk out on Russia children's rights envoy, Storm Helios hits central Mediterranean. But please feel free to send any questions to [email protected]. 2023. Use the 60 minutes of darkness to meditate, exercise or just take a nap - you'll be doing the planet a favour. 12.59pm Health Minister Chris Fearnesaid yesterday that local epidemiologists now had enough data to create models with a reasonable degree of certainty. Even though Malta reported just five new cases of the virus on Thursday, Fearne warned that the worst isn't over. Maltas superintendent of public health Charmaine Gauci alluded to the tests yesterday, saying that authorities are drafting plans to eventually introduce similar tests locally, to gauge the spread of the pathogen. This brings the total up to . Exercise their child visitation rights (for separated parents). If you wear a mask, at one point you will reach for your face to adjust it or to scratch an itch. Along the years, my mandolin has kept me company in difficult situations. Witness History. Latest and breaking news reports and headlines from Malta and the world. Brent oil was down 7.33 per cent from Thursday, reaching prices it last touched more than 15 years ago, in 2003. She says this is because many people do not even realise that they are carrying the virus and take a long time to report it to the 111 helpline. The country the worlds third-largest exporter of rice - will continue to fulfil existing contracts but has said it will not enter into new deals for now. 7.10pm Malta Public Transport says it will be deploying additional buses to heavily-trafficked routes, after many on social media highlighted overcrowding at bus stops. We will reopen the schools when we are sure that doing so wont be putting people at risk, Abela said in reply to a young girls question. By clicking 'Sign in and Subscribe' you agree to us subscribing you to our newsletter in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Legal Notice.Emails, which may be sent daily or less frequently, may include marketing elements. There are current 607 active cases in Malta, almost half of the total number of infections recorded since the epidemic broke out on the island on March 7. A 28-year-old Greek national who returned to Malta on March 19; A 60-year-old traveller who returned from the UK on March 13; A Maltese health worker who returned from the UK on March 20; A 23-year-old Maltese man who had a family member who had tested positive for COVID-19; A 26-year-old Maltese woman who experienced symptoms on March 20 when she was at work. On the bus service, Toni Bezzina proposed a ban to prevent commuters from sitting next to each other, install sanitizers, disinfect vehicles every day, give protective equipment to drivers, and deploy extra buses at peak times to prevent crowds at termini. More widespread testing leads to more cases which would otherwise have gone undetected being discovered. Stop worrying about letters or parcelsBorg says hes seen a video doing the rounds online, in which the virus was shown to survive 74 hours on a tabletop. By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy including the use of cookies to enhance your experience. Click here to sign-in and subscribe via a link sent to your email. Russia will shut all cafes and restaurants for one week as of Saturday. Relevance is automatically assessed, so occasionally headlines not about Malta news might appear - if so please contact us regarding any persistent issues. The US is now the country with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world. The minister was speaking during a press conference that was, for the first time, held remotely. BOV cashiers will no longer be accepting cash and cheque deposits, the bank has said. "The mask material has pores many times larger than a virus and is not tight fitting to the face," he says.