LOCAL NEWS
Press Conference by Health Superintendent Prof. Charmaine Gauci (21st April, 1230)
Prof Charmaine Gauci announced that 24 other persons have recovered taking the tally to 150. Twelve new cases were identified yesterday from over 700 tests, taking the total to 443, or 290 active cases.
These included a cluster of three positive persons related to a previous family member who had tested positive earlier last week. A new cluster from the same family includes an 81-year old pensioner and a 48-year old, who may have exposed others at his workplace.
Other cases included a 27-year old Maltese woman who works in a private company with little contact with other staff; a 50-year old Indian man resident in Malta, a 33-year old Syrian who lives and works in Malta, and a 38-year old Ethiopian who lives in the community.
Three other persons from Hal Far Open Centre, two of them from Eritrea and one from Libya, taking the number of cases at the Centre to 41.
Press Statement by Malta Employers Association
The Malta Employers’ Association appealed for a reduction in water and electricity tariffs among a raft of other measures which it is recommending to support the ailing economy as the restrictions imposed to ease the proliferation of the coronavirus pandemic take their toll. To compensate for these measures, the MEA also suggested a reduction in salaries for idle public sector employees.
In a statement this morning, the Malta Employers’ Association stated that experience of the past few weeks is evidence that, as happened in previous years when Malta faced an international crisis, employers have done their utmost to prevent massive unemployment by retaining people in their jobs, even though many of them may be idle. This is the main reason why predictions of high unemployment have not materialised thus far.
To alleviate the current situation, the MEA is therefore proposing:
- a reduction in utility bills for both businesses and households
- training grants should be more flexible and
- wage supplements should be extended to cover more employees and sectors
- rents for factories facing difficulties should be temporarily waived
- salaries of employees in the public sector who are idle should be reduced
- a special bonus should be awarded to employees in the health sector
Press conference by Chamber of SMEs (Monday afternoon)
The Chamber of SMEs has published the second survey related to businesses during the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Almost 40% of the 360 businesses which took part in the survey said their business activity had come to a complete halt while only 20% said that their operations were still at above 75% of capacity.
A significant part of respondents have indicated that while they have avoided laying off employees at this stage, they will have to do so in the coming weeks if the situation persists, particularly if they are either not covered by Government’s wage supplement or if the promised assistance takes too long to be provided.
Unsurprisingly, the survey confirmed that the sectors which suffered the biggest impact related to travel, tourism, imports as well as the retail sector. 29% of businesses said they had no intention of re-opening until the end of the month with 18% preparing to start laying off workers by the same period.
Only 32% of those interviewed declared that they were able to continue their operations in a normal manner.
When asked to specify the main problems they are facing, business operators mentioned as the key challenges to access the support provided by Government, the cost to access finance, added banking cost (for example the need to use a teller machine for payments on deliveries, which bears extra costs), rental costs, and significant mental health adverse effects.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Timesofmalta.com
Maltatoday
Unemployment in Malta rises amid COVID-19 crash
Jobless people registering for work increased by 353 last month as the first tangible impacts of COVID-19 started being felt on the economy.
The number of people registering for work with Jobsplus, a government agency, stood at 2,125 in March, an increase of 20% over the previous year.
Unemployment increased across all age groups, the National Statistics Office said on Tuesday.
The biggest increase, 80%, was among those registering for work for less than 21 weeks, when compared to the same month last year, signalling the immediate impact of the pandemic on economic operators.
Independent
84% of Gozo Tourism Association members foresee a bleak future for tourism
The Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) said that 84% of its members foresee a bleak future for tourism in Gozo after Covid-19 as they believe that tourism will change for the worse with fewer people travelling.
This statistic was gathered through a survey that was conducted amongst its members to get the views of the tourism sector in order for the Association to formulate an immediate, innovative and wider response to the Covid19 pandemic.
Printed
The Times says that hundreds of people are skipping their appointments at the Covid-19 testing hubs, raising fears that potential cases are slipping through the system and causing risks of transmission.
The Independent says that the police have issued nearly 650 fines for breaking of social distancing rules since the directives were introduced. Authorities have, so far, ordered a total of €250,000 in penalties for violations of various Covid-19 measures.
L-Orizzont reports that the number of active Covid-19 cases continued to decrease on Monday after eight patients were confirmed recovered and four new people tested positive. There are currently 302 active cases.
In-Nazzjon quotes a report by the Chamber of SMEs which says that the primary concern of businesses is the payment of salaries. The paper says that 87 percent of employers do not think that the rescue measures announced by the government are enough.
Editorials
The Independent says that despite the current low number of new cases of coronavirus- infected patients, this should not lead us to lower our guard. The Editor calls on the public to continue following directives, in particular by avoiding visits to elderly and vulnerable people, reminding readers that people could show no symptoms yet carry the virus.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Coronavirus-related deaths in England and Wales 41% higher than announced
Coronavirus-related deaths were 41% higher in England and Wales than the numbers provided by Government, which referred to hospitals only. The new figures were released in a report published by the Office for National Statistics report, take into account deaths outside of hospitals.
The report states that 13,121 deaths involving COVID-19 have occurred in England and Wales up to 10 April, which is 41% higher than the 9,288 people who died in UK hospitals during the same period reported by the Department of Health. This confirms recent speculations that the daily tallies provided by the authorities were not painting the full picture by omitting those perishing in other institutions, particularly the homes for the elderly, which had been particularly hit by the virus.
Italy to announce plans this week to ease lockdown restrictions after 4th May
“It would be irresponsible to withdraw from the lockdown at this point in time, but by the end of the week, plans for a gradual re-opening will be made public.” Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Facebook this morning that the easing of restrictions remains scheduled for 4th May, having been put in place since mid-March.
The lockdown has created a heavy economic and financial strain on one of the most indebted countries in the eurozone, but Conte warned of the health pitfalls if popular decisions are taken too son.
EU Corner
European Investment Bank pushes businesses to go digital
In the fight against the Coronavirus, digital technology is playing an unprecedented role in the maintenance of daily life and economic and social activities, as well as in the recovery of industry and business.
The Coronavirus pandemic is becoming a tipping point for digitalisation – the dawn of a new era – by accelerating the maturity of digital technology: what was once a ‘nice to have’ could now become a ‘crucial to have’. For businesses and organisations to thrive and become more resilient in the medium and longer term, it may be more relevant than before to revisit digital transformation plans in order to stay competitive in the ‘new normal’.
In this context, the new report by the European Investment Bank “Who is prepared for the new digital age? Evidence from the EIB Investment Survey” takes a look at the state of digitalisation in the EU and United States from a unique business perspective. The report shows, based on a company-level survey, that EU firms in most sectors are falling behind the US. It also spells out the key concerns of firms when it comes to the adoption of, and investment in, digital technologies. In particular, it highlights how access to management, skilled labour and the regulatory environment affect the digitalisation of European as well as US firms.
More News:
For a Fact-Checked Aggregated Service of CoVid-19 related information, please visit: https://corporatedispatch.com/category/coronavirus/
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
21692447– For hoteliers and tourists who have questions about the announced measures.
5903030 – For elderly persons bereft of support who need medicines, ready-made meals or food products (fruit and vegetables)
This daily update bulletin is being compiled for the Chamber of Advocates by CI Consulta from Corporate ID Group. CI Consulta delivers policy research and analysis, evaluations and impact assessments up to policy implementation and integration.
