450 years since Valletta became Malta’s capital city

Mar 19 2021

After the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta Pierre de Monte moved his seat from Fort St. Angelo, Birgu to the Grandmaster’s palace in 18th March 1571, Valletta became Malta’s capital city 450 years ago. Imdina was Malta’s previous capital city when the arrival of the knights in 1530 moved the administrative centre of the island to Birgu.

Named after Jean Parisot de Valette who defended Malta from the Ottoman Empire during the Great Siege, Valletta’s status as a World Heritage Site was established in 1980 by UNESCO, along with the Megalithic Temples and Hal Saflieni Hypogeum. Along with its stunning scenery and long, rich history, Valletta also served as 2018’s European Centre for Culture.

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Groups of migrants relocated to France, Luxembourg and Portugal

Mar 19 2021

More immigrant groups have been relocated to France on Thursday, following other relocations earlier this month to Luxembourg and Portugal. Carried out as part of a commitment of EU member states, the act seeks to relocate a number of irregular immigrants from Malta to EU countries. COVID-19 measures were also ensured before and during the transfer.

Home Affairs Ministry stated that relocated immigrants will have asylum claim in the Member state they are relocated to. The preparations for the relocation involves assistance of the European Commission, Immigration Section of Police Force, International Organisation for Immigration and European Asylum Support Office.

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‘People vaccinated in Malta with no serious side effects’ states Charmaine Gauci

Mar 19 2021

Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci has stated that no-one who was vaccinated in Malta has experienced serious side effects after the jab. She also added that the UK variant is spreading widely throughout the community and is causing three-quarters of new cases. On the other hand, 3 cases of the South African variant have been found with no other variants detected as of yet.

Professor Gauci also stated that Malta will only be accepting vaccines which were approved by the European Medicines Agency. As of 18th March, Malta has administered 133, 871 vaccine doses, of which 41,621 were second doses. Out of 27,515 positive cases, 229 are hospitalised. Measures have also been put in place to aid in the vaccination quest, with no more than two households to meet as largest infections seemingly come from homes.

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Socially-distant activities to do on a public holiday

Mar 19 2021

With the long sought-after feast of St. Joseph coming up on the 19th of March, many would normally plan big days out with friends or family or organise a day choc-full of activities, but with the ongoing pandemic and recent surges in cases, this year is definitely not the year to make plans.

However, if you have a day off and want to clear your mind of the everyday struggles you may be facing, we’ve compiled a list of activities you can do, while still following health protocol and COVID-19 mitigation measures.

Exercise

Exercise not only strengthens and maintains your body, but your mind and soul. You can choose to go for an indoor workout in the comfort of your own home or even head outside for a safe, socially-distant sesh in Malta’s beautiful outdoor landscapes.

Indoor Picnic

If you prefer staying inside, there’s nothing stopping you from a good-old fashioned picnic with the members of your household. You can even go old-school and make a fort out of bed sheets and lay down some of pre-prepared snacks (hint hint)

Cook

Whether you want to call it a lockdown or not, if there ever was a time to start cooking, or learning to cook, it’s definitely now. Take a crack (pun intended) at some of the pandemic-friendly food trends you never had the opportunity to try such as banana bread or Dalgona coffee or if you’re feeling bold, you can even try your hand at the latest food trend in Baked Feta Pasta.

Board Games

If there’s anything we purchased in excess in the past year, it’s board games. Monopoly to Jenga to Jigsaw Puzzles and everything in between, board games have ushered in a return to traditional recreational activities and a step away from anything digital and we love it.

Video Games

While industries around the world have felt the wrath of the COVID-19 pandemic, gaming has seen somewhat of a boost to its already-astronomical growth in the past years. You could be a contributor to the never-ending battle between top dogs Warzone and Fortnite or delight in the online wonder of games like World of Warcraft or Minecraft, with moderation, gaming is a pastime that can help you blow off some steam and enjoy your day off.

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