Calls for COVID self-testing kits by Nationalist Party

Jan 3 2022

The Nationalist Party has issued a call for regulated self-testing for COVID-19 in view of what seems to be a ‘breakdown’ in the testing and contact tracing system.

Given the massive spike in cases, the party said that the government needed to be transparent in its decision making. Apart from this, the Opposition stated that the government should also reveal which variant is currently dominant in Malta.

The party stated that the introduction of self-testing kids could ease the testing backlog caused by the government which, according to the Opposition, was due to a lack of planning.

This comes after many in the health authorities, including Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci, argued against self-testing kits.

The main argument was that people with no medical background would be more susceptible to making mistakes when trying to test for COVID-19.

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Mum gives birth to twins born in two different years in extremely rare case

Jan 3 2022

In a rare one to two million occurrence, two twins in California were born on different days, months, and years as 2022 came rolling in.

Little Aylin Yolanda and Alfredo Antonio Trujillo were born 15 minutes apart on New Year’s Eve. Alfredo came first at 11:45pm, followed closely by his sister just as the clock struck midnight.

The siblings were born at Natividad Medical Centre, with the establishment tweeting out: “At midnight, Natividad welcomed Aylin Yolanda Trujillo as the area’s first baby of 2022! Her twin, Alfredo Antonio Trujillo, was born 15 minutes earlier at 11:45 pm Friday, Dec. 31, meaning their birthday falls on a different day, month and year — a 1 in 2 million chance!”

The twins are the siblings of three older kids, with their parents Fatima Madrigal and Robert Trujillo expressing the bizarre circumstances of the birth.

Even Dr Ana Abril Arias, a family doctor at the establishment, described it as one of the most memorable deliveries of her career. ‘It was an absolute pleasure to help these little ones arrive safely in 2021 and 2022.’

According to Natividad, there are around 120,000 twin births in the US per year. This is already just 3% of births, with twins born on different birthdays being very rare, let alone on New Years Eve.

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Employer associations agree with presenting vaccine certificates for work

Jan 3 2022

Two associations for employers have expressed their agreement with the idea of employees presenting their vaccination certificates to be able to access the workplace.

Speaking on TVAM this morning, the director general of Malta Employer’s Association Joseph Farrugia and Malta Chamber of Commerce President Marisa Xuereb discussed this view.

Farrugia argued that the virus does not discriminate against people who enter restaurants or those who enter the workplace. There are ongoing discussions concerning within employee relations board about whether the certificate should be made mandatory to enter workplaces.

Xuereb highlighted that she is not advocating for employers to forcibly make people get the vaccine but stressed that employers also have the right to see whether a high risk of infections is keeping unvaccinated employees from reporting from work.

Discussing the quarantine period, Xuereb said that ten days are enough, but suggested 7 days for those who have been vaccinated. She said that 20% of the Chamber employees are in quarantine and it is thus very difficult to operate.

Farrugia continued by saying that the quarantine period is the authorities’ prerogative, insisting that should they note that the virus is not as strong, quarantines should be shortened given cases do not increase.

He also said that 20% of workers in quarantine is, given the pandemic situation, a realistic one but said that only 20% to 25% of employees can use teleworking or remote working.

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Sliema murder suspect sent to Mount Carmel as interrogations suspended

Jan 3 2022

Interrogations of Abner Aquilina, a 20-year-old from Żejtun who is the main suspect in the Paulina Dembska murder, were suspended after he was sent to Mount Carmel.

The police stated that following his arrest, the suspect was examined by doctors and has now been referred to Mt Carmel. Investigations are being led by the Police officers from the Homicide Squad and from the Sliema Police station.

Dembska, nationality Polish, was also confirmed to have been staying in a Sliema hostel and was in Malta as a student. She was 29-years old.

#MaltaDaily