COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Bulletin – 17th April (1330 hrs)
LOCAL NEWS
Press Conference by Health Superintendent Prof. Charmaine Gauci (17th April, 1230)
Prof Charmaine Gauci announced nine further recoveries.
1090 swabs were carried out yesterday, a continuously increasing number. This resulted in ten new positive cases, taking the tally to 422 cases. Excluding recoveries and deaths, the number of active cases stood at 328.
One case related to travel, a 31-year old woman returning on a repatriation flight. She was immediately quarantined and therefore the case was contained. However, contact tracing with the other passengers is taking place.
The other persons include citizens from Britain, Colombia and Nepal and three Sudanese immigrants at Hal Far. The remaining patients are Maltese.
Prof Gauci repeated her appeal that despite good weather looking likely during the weekend, for the public to restrict going out to ensure their own safety and that of others.
Government to subsidise interest rates for businesses
Parliamentary Secretary Clayton Bartolo announced that Government will be subsidising 2.5% of interest rates for the first two years. Individuals and companies will therefore be covering a minimum of 0.1 percent. Therefore, if a bank applies an interest rate of 2.5%, Government will cover 2.4%. If the bank imposes an interest rate of 3%, the client will end up paying only 0.5% in interest rates. This subsidy applies for the first 48 months of the loan. Businesses are encouraged to speak with their banks to benefit from this assistance.
The participating banks are Bank of Valletta, HSBC, APS Bank, Med Bank, BNF Bank, Lombard Bank, Isola Bank and FCM Bank.
Government is costing this scheme at around 20 million euro.
These measures are over and above the guarantees being provided by the Malta Development Bank to cover loans which are used to pay salaries, payments for stock and material and payments related to cancelled or suspended contracts. The guarantee covers 90% of new loans.
Bartolo described these measures as “positive and unprecedented”.
Minister for Finance Edward Scicluna welcomed the fact that the IMF, while comparing the current crisis with the Great Depression, has a significantly more positive outlook for Malta which he attributed to the trust in the Maltese Governments and the Maltese public.
Maltese individuals and clients have around 11 billion euro in existing loans with Maltese banks, for which the recently-announced moratorium applies. The new scheme applies for new loans.
Businesses have until June to apply for these loans.
Press Conference by Economy Minister Silvio Schembri (17th April, 10.30am)
Economy Ministry Silvio Schembri said that Malta Enterprise handled more than 42,500 calls, messages through social media and other methods of communication with regard to current situation and its economic impact. These consist of individuals and companies requesting support or guidance.
300 companies have applied for assistance related to teleworking, with 77 of them having already been approved. Government has already released funds for 64 of these companies, totaling 81,000 euro.
Quarantine leave: Government is support companies by covering 350 euro for each person on a fourteen-day quarantine leave. 1,298 such requests have been received, with 491 already have been disbursed, for a total of just under 50,000 euro.
Wage supplement: Schembri explained that this is the most important scheme administered by Malta Enterprise but at the same time requires a complex process of verification to ensure that taxpayer money is being invested in the appropriate manner. 16,970 requests for support have been received. Schembri also added that “this is not a matter of choosing between companies, as every genuine application will be approved”.
When considering the number of people employed with the companies who made these requests, these requests are covering almost 77,000 persons. These are all jobs that have been saved, quipped the Minister, explaining that the absolute majority of these were full-time jobs.
He explained that the scope of this initiative is to provide a social wage. Therefore, if a part-time job was the person’s main income, such income was covered. Those persons who have a full-time as well as a part-time one, the latter was not eligible for support.
Under Annex A, that is those businesses who suffered the biggest hit with the current crisis, more than 4,300 applications have already been processed, with 2,963 being approved. This resulted in a disbursement of just under 5 million euro.
Silvio Schembri also announced that Malta Enterprise will be administering the interest rate subsidy scheme launched yesterday, which is being costed at 20 million euro a month. This assistance is not related to new investment, but funds to allow businesses to pay suppliers, salaries and current expenditure.
Schembri said that Government was currently working not only on an exit strategy with regards to the easing of restrictions, in the coming “days and weeks” but also a “re-start strategy” in terms of economic measures, for the different sectors, indicating that current support schemes will be updated and improved upon.
Malta Chamber of Commerce welcomes interest rate subsidy
The Malta Chamber of Commerce welcomed the Government subsidy up to 2.5% of interest, on business loans related to the COVID-19 predicament, announced today. This measure, together with other measures announced previously such as the Government guaranteed loans and moratoria on loan repayments, many of which were proposed by the Malta Chamber, is appreciated as a step in the right direction and further support to businesses at this time of unprecedented challenges.
“Since businesses will still be expected to make good for a minimum of 0.1%, based on he discretion of the banks, the Malta Chamber calls on the latter to exercise maximum flexibility with businesses who are experiencing great credit-related hardships as in many cases, their revenue streams are drying out fast if not already. The Malta Chamber is available to provide assistance and facilitation between its members and the banking sector to iron out any issues that may arise.”
Chamber of SMEs welcomes interest rate subsidies
The Chamber of SMEs welcomed the “positive support initiative” announced earlier by Government. The trade body said that the subsidy on interest rate will go a long way in making the Malta Development Bank Guarantee Scheme accessible and affordable for SMEs.
In its statement, the Chamber of SMEs said that “this scheme is being regarded as an important tool for business survival during the current crises and also an equally important tool that will reignite economic recovery.”
The Malta Chamber of SMEs also positively notes that a large number of banks are participating in the initiative.
We call on banks to make use of the subsidised interest rate and not charge any interest rate above that. We also expect for businesses not to be met with difficulty or bureaucracy and be provided with the finance facility in a timely manner. This should be the top-most priority. Paper work requirements should be reasonable. Flexibility should be provided to comply with such requirements within an agreed timeframe and should not delay access to the finance facility.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Timesofmalta.com
Hundreds of Maltese residents still stuck abroad
Hundreds of Maltese nationals and residents are still waiting to be repatriated, days after an initial deadline for their return passed.
Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo confirmed around 355 people have yet to make their way home and that their situation is complicated because most are in non- European countries.
A number are waiting to be flown to Malta from countries like the Philippines, Peru, India as well as African countries, the minister said.
To facilitate the process, Bartolo said the authorities have set up agreements with the German government and Lufthansa so that when the airline repatriates Germans, it allocates some of its seats to the Maltese.
Maltatoday
Restrictions may start to be lifted in ‘coming weeks’, Health Minister says
Malta may gradually start to lift restrictive measures if the number of new COVID-19 infections remains low, Chris Fearne said.The Health Minister made the declaration in a recorded interview on TVM’s Xtra that will be broadcast tonight.
Fearne said the number of new infections over the past few weeks was “encouraging” but stressed that it was up to the people to continue following health guidelines to minimise the virus spread.
Fearne’s cautious optimism comes on the same day that the World Health Organisation’s regional office in Europe announced it will be presenting a set of six guidelines to countries for an exit strategy.
Independent
4.4% of Mater Dei healthcare workers in quarantine; 0.33% positive for Covid-19
4.4% of Mater Dei Hospital’s healthcare workers are currently in quarantine, and 0.33% are positive for Covid-19, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry told The Malta Independent.
The Ministry also said that 6% of Primary Health Care workers are in quarantine, with none of them having tested positive for the Coronavirus.
1.9% of healthcare workers at Mount Carmel Hospital are being kept in quarantine, with 0.39% of the facility’s medical personnel having tested positive for Covid-19
Printed
The Independent leads with an announcement by the government that it will subsidise up to 2.5 percent of interest rates on bank loans taken by businesses. Companies must pay a minimum of 0.1 percent.
The Times reports on the new loan support scheme for businesses unveiled by Finance Minister Edward Scicluna and Parliamentary Secretary Clayton Bartolo. The initiative is estimated to cost €20 million every year.
L-Orizzont calculates that the price of a regular shipping list has increased by some eight percent since the start of the outbreak. The paper says that not all food stores have revised prices, but most are expected to adjust them to reflect new costs.
In-Nazzjon reports that another 38 Covid-19 patients have fully recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 82 from 412 cases. On Thursday, the Public Health Superintendent announced that 13 people tested positive to swabbing.
The Times quotes Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo who revealed that 355 Maltese citizens are still waiting to be repatriated to Malta. He said that most of them are outside the EU, making the process more complex.
The Independent says that health authorities have decided to extend the quarantine imposed on the Ħal Far migrants centre after four new cases surfaced among residents yesterday. The quarantine period was due to end this Sunday.
In-Nazzjon quotes Chamber of Commerce president David Xuereb who said that up to 25,000 could lose their jobs as a consequence of the emergency. The paper says that the rescue measures introduced by the government leave 100,000 people exposed to risks.
L-Orizzont carries an interview with the Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Oliver Scicluna, who said that a lockdown creates ‘enormous restrictions’ on people with disability.
Editorials
The Times of Malta continues to look at the recent migrant tragedy, claiming that we have blood on our hands. The Editorial concedes that it is logical that tiny Malta cannot hold up the entire continent’s migration policy on its shoulders. While we have a legal and moral obligation to save lives at sea, we need help with three things: to be backed up with a very clear and concerted effort to track down and capture traffickers; help to relocate refugees across the continent; and a clear plan to help north Africa.
The Independent is among the first Editorials since the onset of the pandemic to discuss the impact of the current crisis on the sporting world, both from the perspective of the cancellation of all major sports events around the world and the logistical nightmare to re-schedule, but also on the financial impact on organisations and clubs.
L-Orizzont looks at efforts carried out by authorities to improve the Maltese environment, focusing on waste management, incentives for use of cleaner energy, support for electric vehicles and refurbishing and cleansing of many areas around the islands. The Editor welcomes moves by Government, that besides improving key touristic areas, is also looking at embellishing and cleaning the cores of our towns and villages.
In-Nazzjon considers the social perspective of the current crisis, with the people to suffer most being those who were already on the margins of society, those that can barely make ends meet, and for whom loss of employment means that paying rent becomes a challenge in itself. It is the duty of the nation and its leaders, argues the Editor, to provide those solutions that ensure that no one is left behind.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
China reports two-week low in new coronavirus cases
Mainland China reported on Friday that new confirmed cases of the coronavirus fell to a two-week low, as infections involving travellers arriving from abroad sharply fell.
China recorded 26 new cases of the coronavirus in the mainland on Thursday, down from 46 cases a day earlier, according to the National Health Commission.
That was the lowest daily total since April 3. Of the new cases on Thursday, 15 were imported infections, the lowest since March 17.
The remaining 11 confirmed cases were locally transmitted infections, down from 12 a day earlier.
Dubai curbs movement
The Dubai emirate restricted curfew movement permits on Thursday as the number of reported infections in the Gulf region rose with increased testing. Gulf Arab states have registered an increase in cases among low-wage migrant workers in overcrowded housing despite measures to combat the disease, including halting passenger flights, imposing curfews and closing most public venues.
Dubai, which had extended a UAE-wide nightly curfew into a 24-hour one, reduced the issuance of permits for essential movement. Dubai police said permits for grocery shopping would only be issued once every three days and those for medical visits would be granted for emergencies only.
The six Gulf Arab states have recorded more than 20,000 cases and over 130 deaths from the COVID-19 lung disease caused by the coronavirus. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have the largest infection counts.
EU Corner
EU Commission President offers “heartfelt apology to Italy”, promises strong change in behaviour
Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission has offered a heartfelt apology to Italy, admitting in Parliament that “many countries were not there in the hour of need”.
The Commission President was speaking at a debate in the European Parliament on Thursday, admitting: “it is true that many countries were absent when Italy first needed help. And it is true, that the European Union must offer its most heartfelt apologies to Italy. But “sorry” means something only if it is reflected by a change in behaviour. Yes, it took some time for everyone to understand that we need to protect each other. But the EU has emerged as the heart of solidarity, we are here to support those who are most in need”. She referred to joint efforts made by EU institutions and member states to distribute medical equipment, offer hospital beds as well as getting agreements on financing the recovery
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Additional info
Helplines
111 – For those who feel symptoms of COVID-19 or who wish further information
21411 411 – For those in mandatory quarantine who require provisions of food and medicine
1772 – For those who are feeling lonely.
153 – For those who require information about the financial measures administered by the Department for Social Security.
144 – For those who require information about the financial measures administered by Malta Enterprise.
2204 2200 – For Maltese residents who were caught in one of the high-risk countries and wish to return to Malta
25981000 – For those who have questions about the educational sector and the impact of the coronavirus
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5903030 – For elderly persons bereft of support who need medicines, ready-made meals or food products (fruit and vegetables)
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