All three hospitalised COVID patients are unvaccinated

Jul 7 2021

Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne revealed that a 19-year-old unvaccinated language student has been hospitalised due to a COVID-19 infection. This reinforces the need for all people to get their vaccine. The student is currently being treated in a specialised COVID ward at Mater Dei hospital, but is not in intensive care. All three patients in hospital for COVID-19 related treatment are foreign and unvaccinated.

Fearne revealed earlier this week that 90% of COVID-19 cases are unvaccinated individuals. He also highlighted how the jab broke the link between new cases and hospitalisation. Around 77% of adults are fully vaccinated, with 82.5% of adults having received at least one dose. 40% of newly detected cases have also been classified as imported.

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Photo Source: Chris Fearne FB, Wikipedia

Sleeping with your dog in bed can improve your mental health

Jul 7 2021

Snuggle up with your dog closer tonight as it has been revealed that sleeping with them in bed can improve your mental health. The question whether or not to have your dog snoring next to you is answered differently by many people – some love it whilst others insist they sleep anywhere but on their bed. Dog behaviourist Karen Barrett informed the Daily Telegraph that inviting your dog, and possibly even your cat, actually makes people feel calmer and happier.

This comes with a warning however as dominance needs to be established with the pets. Letting a dog sleep on your head will make them instinctually think they are higher up than you. Instead, lying next to you releases an oxytocin that encourages cuddles. It is all a basic survival instinct, with people who slept with dogs found to get a more restful night’s sleep than those who share their bed with other humans or cats.

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Photo Source: Healthline

New Malta Crematorium Project to launch following cemetery extension

Jul 7 2021

Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne revealed that a crematorium in Malta will be launched within the coming months. In a response to a parliamentary question from Claudette Buttigieg, the Deputy Prime Minister said that the project is due to launch once the extension to Addolorata cemetery is completed. A legislation approved by Parliament made cremation services legal in Malta since May 2019, with Rosianne Cutajar leading the legislation.

Cutajar stated the Maltese government should hand the entire concession for the country’s cremations to one crematorium. This would make it all more feasible, even in terms of environmental concerns which accompany cremation.

Regulation will all be in the hands of the Superintendence of Public Health. They will be responsible for monitoring crematoria, conduction inspections and empowering them to take all necessary action if license obligations are found to have been breached. A national registry will be set up to record people’s wishes on whether they want to be cremated.

As of yet, there is no clear answer as to who will operate the service. Camilleri Funeral Directors showed interest in 2019, with cremation believed to cost somewhere between €550 and €750.

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Photo Source: Chris Fearne, Wikipedia

Silvio Schembri proposes early University lessons stay online for good

Jul 7 2021

Speaking in an interview with news portal Lovin Malta, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri proposed that early-morning and late-afternoon lectures at the University of Malta should be accessible online for good. This was proposed in order to reduce the university’s parking problems which have been known to cause daily issues for all attending the institution. Interviewed by Lovin Malta’s Chris Peregin about MIMCOL’s economic vision for Malta, Schembri highlighted the movement of education from live lectures to online settings following the outbreak.

Despite not being sustainable for young children, tertiary level students can still make use of online education permanently. Schembri pointed out how the pandemic accelerated some developments and that they should not be scrapped as mitigations are eased. Learning online will be capitalised by targeting individuals wishing to pursue academic studies with Malta’s higher education institutions.

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Photo Source: Welcome Center Malta, Silvio Schembri FB