Contactless payment available on all buses through collaboration between Malta Public Transport, Bank of Valletta and Visa

Jun 21 2021

With the intention of making life easier, simpler and more convenient for non-Tallinja card holder residents and visitors, Visa has collaborated with Bank of Valletta and Malta Public Transport to introduce contactless transit on public transport.

Technology has the potential to transform cities and contactless transport has gone from being a luxury to a necessity to provide easy and secure travel.

Highlighting the importance of public transportation in ensuring post-Covid economic recovery across Europe, David Farrugia, Visa Malta Country Manager said “Public transportation systems are crucial for people who rely on them to get to and from work every day. Consumers rely on them to access their local businesses and purchase their needs, while tourists use public transportation to get around the Islands.”

As many countries around the world launch contactless payment and in turn aiding in the support of essential workers and recovery, cities have become more sustainable through contactless payments’ potential to lower carbon transport options.

This results in a globally projected uptake of as much as 27% on public transport if barriers associated with paying to travel are removed.

For cities around the world, contactless transport has gone from a nice-to-have to a must-have in order to provide customers with safe and secure solutions through COVID-19 and beyond. With the enablement of contactless payments, local residents and tourists can worry less about carrying cash and queuing for tickets.

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Keith Demicoli remembers his late father in heartwarming post

Jun 21 2021

Keith Demicoli posted a heartwarming post for Father’s Day in which he remembers his late father and all the beautiful memories he had with him. He states how around 30 years ago, his father passed away, with Demicoli stating that wherever he might be in the ‘great beyond’ he hopes he is well. He goes on to reminisce how he was given only a few months to live after taking Keith to donate to the Malta Community Chest Fund.

Despite spending too short a time with his father, Keith says that this taught him how short and precious life is. He stated he’d like to think that his father would be proud of the man Keith had become. Despite not becoming an architect as his father allegedly wished, Keith said that he is still trying to ‘design, shape and build better lives’ around him.

He concluded his wonderful message by saying that he tries to pass on wonderful gems of wisdom that his mother and father both gave him to other people. He learned how to respect people and make the most of every moment in life. He also acknowledged how not everyone wears his heart upon his sleeve. Many people are hiding despair beneath a smiling face, and thus encourages people to be kind and compassionate.

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Photo Source: Keith Demicoli FB, IG

1 COVID-19 case registered with 5 recoveries

Jun 21 2021

Malta has registered 1 new case of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours from 1,480 swab tests, while 5 patients have recovered. No deaths were registered in the past 24 hours. This information was announced by the official Facebook page of Malta’s Ministry for Health.

As of Monday 21st June 2021, 628,735 vaccine doses were administered of which 352,478 were 1st doses. 288,195 people are currently fully vaccinated.

To date, Malta has registered 30,590 COVID-19 cases in total, of which: 30,147 have recovered, 420 died and 23 are still active.

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Photo Source: Charmaine Gauci FB

China has administered over 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses

Jun 21 2021

China’s vaccine rollout has become unrivalled as it reaches well over the 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine dose mark. China’s National Health Commission (NHC) stated that a total of 1,010,489,000 doses have been administered as of Saturday, with the doses being 40% of the 2.5 billion shots administered globally.

Around 100 million doses were given in the five days leading up to and including Saturday. China managed to rack up the amount despite starting the rollout shakily. It reached the first million milestone on March 27th, two weeks behind the USA. Beijing has successfully contained the outbreak but several local outbreaks have fuelled fear of infection, thus leading to a vaccination rush. People under the age of 18 have also started receiving their vaccines, being eligible to receive Sinopharm and Sinovac.

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Photo Source: DW