Clayton Bartolo announces cancellation of tourism license fees for 2021

Apr 28 2021

Tourism industry operators have been exempt from paying Malta Tourism Authority fees and licenses for the rest of 2021. Tourism minister Clayton Bartolo announced that this scheme is one of a series of measures in a bid to prop up the industry as Malta prepares for tourism restarting in June.

Around 10,000 operators and businesses in local tourism industry will save €4 million which would have been otherwise due to the MTA, the minister said. Businesses which are included in this scheme vary from hotels, guesthouses, kiosks, nightclubs, taxis, garage hire and even language schools. With regards to the latter, Bartolo stated that more measures will be announced next week.

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Photo Source: Clayton Bartolo FB

One vaccine dose can reduce COVID-19 transmission by half

Apr 28 2021

A new study by Public Health England has reported that a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine can reduce the transmission by half. This indicates, and brings hope, that the pandemic’s can in fact be put under control as those vaccinated are less likely to pass the virus onto someone else. The study, which involved more than 57,000 people living in 24,000 households who were contacts of a vaccinated person, shows that anyone who tests positive but has had at least one shot of AstraZeneca or Pfizer is around 38% and 49% less likely to transmit the virus.

Protection was seen from around 14 days after the jab was received, with the person’s age not being a factor that interferes. Further studies will indicate whether two full doses will slash the transmission even further. Health secretary Matt Hancock stated that this news ‘further reinforces that vaccines are the best way out of this pandemic.’

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Photo Source: Gustavo Fring

Spain allowing overseas travellers with COVID certificates from June

Apr 28 2021

Spain’s secretary of state for tourism Fernando Valdés has revealed that the country aims to reopen to overseas holidaymakers starting June 2021. The country will be utilising the COVID-19 digital health certificate scheme which shows whether an individual has been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered. The country will be participating in a pilot digital certificate scheme in May in order to test the waters.

Valdés stressed that the certificates were not a magic wand that would change the epidemiological situation, but through these certificates tourists would have a degree of safety when making the trip. COVID-19 has infected well over 3 million people in Spain and killed 77,855. Yet, Spain depends on tourism for about 12% of GDP and thus is hoping that this scheme, along with the vaccine rollout at around 14,994,667 jabs administered, will help the country’s economy.

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Photo Source: Beauchamp Estates

More than 2400 trees uprooted since 2018

Apr 28 2021

MaltaToday have revealed that as of 2018 onwards, the Environment and Resources Authority issued permits for the uprooting of 2,418 trees and transplanting of another 1,545. The ERA provided the statistics to the news portal revealing that in this timeframe 278 permits were issued to uproot or transplant protected trees. 12,299 new trees had to be planted as compensation for said uprooting.

28 permits were issued to Infrastructure Malta for uprooting or transplanting, and four others for pruning. IM had the authority to uproot 854 trees with another 484 transplanted. All these permits are valid for one year, with holders being obliged with after care for three years.

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Photo Source: Maltawinds.com