LOCAL NEWS
Press Conference by Health Superintendent Prof. Charmaine Gauci (8th May, 1230)
During today’s COVID-19 briefing, Health Superintendent Prof Charmaine Gauci said that three new cases were identified during the past 24 hours, taking the country’s tally to 489. These resulted from 1,137, meaning that 40,493 swabs have been taken so far.
Six persons have since recovered, meaning that 65 active cases remain. The cases were as follows: A 27-year old and her young son, who had been previously quarantined after being in contact with a person identified as positive.
The third case concerns a Gozitan man who carried out the test despite having no symptoms. His contacts were also placed into quarantine.
Prof Gauci said that more than 34,000 persons have checked their symptoms through the health authorities’ specially dedicated app.
Press Conference by Economy Minister Silvio Schembri – Update on Business Support Measures (8th May)
Economy Minister Silvio Schembri revealed that while the current set of measures focused on safeguarding employment and indicated that in the coming weeks, Government will announce measures to support the economy in relaunching itself. Schembri claimed that Government was confident that these support measures were yielding the desired results with a number of jobs being saved. He also quoted a study published today and quoted by the BBC showing that Malta had that largest support package as a percentage of GDP.
With regard to the wage supplement, Silvio Schembri said that around 1,000 businesses applied during the past week, taking the tally to 19,885. The Minister said that by now the majority of business had by now applied. Schembri said that a number of employees had complained that they were not informed by their employer whether they are entitled to the wage supplement or not. For this reason, a personal letter will be sent to all beneficiaries certifying their entitlement to the wage support.
These applications covered 93,114 employees, with more than 80,000 among them being full timers.
Of these applications, 16,838 covered Annex A, that is those industry facing the biggest hit during the current pandemic.
The Minister insisted that Malta Enterprise had hastened the processing of these application and more than 11,759 have now been approved. These cover 42,447 full time and 9,766 employees being covered. This amounted to more than 33.6 million euro in payments. Schembri recalled that despite a gradual re-opening of businesses, these schemes have been rolled over for another two months, May and June.
Silvio Schembri said that 655 applications for teleworking were received, 181 reviewed, 157 were accepted. Total value disbursed reached EUR 145,000. With regards to support for quarantine leave, 1,632 applications, were received. Of these, 1,444 were processed, with a disbursement covering over 700,000 covering 2,025 employees.
Malta Enterprise CEO Kurt Farrugia said that in the coming days an independent procedure will be setup to allow companies who have been refused support to appeal from the Corporation’s decision. He explained that an internal audit procedure is also in place.
NSO Summary of Labour Force Data
The NSO today gave a summary detailing a comparison of Labour Force Data between average 2019 and end March 2020.
This shows that the number of persons working from home shot up from 12% to 33%, while 59% found their job was affected in one way or another.
40% are working less hours, with 78% of these attributing this to economic slowdown.
MALTA-24: LOCAL NEWS
Corporatedispatch.com
Malta tops worldwide ranking of Covid-19 spending packages – BBC
Malta has invested in the largest financial package in terms of support measures covering families, business and job support since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic worldwide.
This outstanding achievement for the nation resulted from a wide-ranging analysis of rescue packages enacted by individual nations and international institutions carried out by Professor Ceyhun Elgin, an Economics Professor at Columbia University, who tracked, with colleagues around the world, responses in 166 countries.
By his calculations, Malta’s response has been the most significant world-wide, with a spending package calculated at around 22% of Malta’s economy, higher than the likes of 14% of GDP in the US, 11% in Australia, 8.4% in Canada, 5% in the UK.
Independent
Covid-19: 29% did not work during last two weeks of March despite being employed
A recent Labour Force Survey (LFS) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) for the last two weeks of March 2020 revealed that 59% of employees reported being affected by Covid-19, and 29% did not work during the last two weeks despite being employed.
This information is part of the findings on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market in Malta. The LFS is an on-going household survey aimed at gathering information about labour market trends and its data is comparable to other European Union Member States.
Timesofmalta.com
Economy Minister downplays Muscat’s role advising government
Economy Minister Silvio Schembri on Friday downplayed former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s re-emergence as a consultant on the government’s COVID-19 economic recovery plan.
Fielding questions during a news conference, Schembri questioned if a meeting Muscat had with his successor Robert Abela was really the biggest concern in the country at the moment. Apart from the meeting, an economic note compiled by Muscat has been circulated to Cabinet.
Abela has said Muscat is not being paid for advising the government.
Printed
The Independent speaks to the union of teachers which says that most teachers do not feel prepared to go back to school unless a strategic plan for hygiene measures is in place. Education Minister Owen Bonnici said that Skolasajf is still planned to be held as usual.
L-Orizzont carries a story about a woman who raised more than €100,000 to help bring her husband from Africa after he contracted the coronavirus. The paper says that the woman’s determination is a demonstration of unconditional love. It also reports that court hearings are set to increase in the coming days after many of the cases were suspended to observe social distancing rules and because the police force was mobilised to concentrate on enforcement of measures.
In-Nazzjon says that that price of oil is at a historic low in the past 20 years. The paper says that from a record-high of $128 in 2018, oil has gone down to negative prices today, but argues that Maltese households have not benefited from the decrease.
Editorials
The Times of Malta celebrates the remembrance of the 75th anniversary of VE day, linking it to the crisis we face today. The Editor argues how post-war Germany was rebuilt and flourished, an experience of how swiftly human nature can regenerate after disaster. As we recall and mark VE-Day, the battle against coronavirus may well come to rival that war for its historical significance and long-term impact on the way we live and think. The Editor notes how the coronavirus conflict will not end, like the Second World War, with some relieving moment of unconditional surrender. Luckily, the number of COVID-19 victims is nowhere in comparison. But still, it is testing Malta’s mettle in the face of adversity.
The Independent calls the current time as the era of the mask. The Editor expresses concern that this level of uncertainty is perhaps the most difficult aspect to contend with because, although we hope that the situation will be brought under control, there is still no light appearing at the end of this long and horrendous tunnel. Until that happens, we must continue to adhere to the guidelines that are being set by the health authorities. We must admit that it was only thanks to their instructions – and that these were followed to the letter by most of us – that Malta managed to contain the spread of the virus.
L-Orizzont looks at the financial package being implemented by the authorities to support the Maltese economy, expressing its belief that this package is yielding the desired results – with most companies sticking with their employees, safe in the knowledge that Government is covering a substantial part of their wages.
In-Nazzjon’s Editor tackles an argument that has been dealt quite a few times this week by his counterparts in other press publications, that of hatred being expressed online. The Editorial joins in the collective dismay at the way that a number of persons used social media to express similar comments which should have no place in society.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
UN chief says pandemic is unleashing a ‘tsunami of hate’
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday the coronavirus pandemic keeps unleashing a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering and appealed for an all-out effort to end hate speech globally,” AP reports.
The UN chief said anti-foreigner sentiment has surged online and in the streets, anti- Semitic conspiracy theories have spread, and Covid-19-related anti-Muslim attacks have occurred.
EU Corner
Commission steps up fight against money laundering and terrorist financing
The European Commission has put forward a comprehensive approach to further strengthen the EU’s fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.
This ambitious action plan, targeting one of the biggest financial challenges facing the continent, sets out concrete measures that the Commission will take over the next 12 months to better enforce, supervise and coordinate the EU’s rules on combating money laundering and terrorist financing. The aim of this new, comprehensive approach is to shut down any remaining loopholes and remove any weak links in the EU’s rules.
Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said: “We need to put an end to dirty money infiltrating our financial system. Today we are further bolstering our defences to fight money laundering and terrorist financing, with a comprehensive and far-reaching Action Plan. There should be no weak links in our rules and their implementation. We are committed to delivering on all these actions – swiftly and consistently – over the next 12 months. We are also strengthening the EU’s global role in terms of shaping international standards on fighting money laundering and terrorism financing.”
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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.
