COVID-19 death toll surpasses 400,000 in India

Jul 2 2021

India’s COVID-19 linked death toll surpasses the 400,000 mark as the country attempts to ramp up its vaccine rollout programme. The third country behind the US and Brazil to record 400,000 deaths, the country has recorded 30 million cases. This is second only to the US. Average daily cases in India has fallen to over 40,000 in recent days, following peaks of 400,000 last May. Despite the strict lockdown by states contributing to the significant drop, a third wave is being predicted.

Less than 5% of the country’s population has been fully vaccinated since the beginning of the push last January. The plans by the government to vaccinate all of India by the end of the year have been met with resistance due to a slow pace, shortage of doses and vaccine hesitancy. Using two homegrown vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, the government is racing to increase its supplies following the deadly second wave which greatly overwhelmed the medical system.

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Photo Source: Bloomberg.com

Australia to cut by half the number of international arrivals

Jul 2 2021

Amidst COVID-19 outbreaks putting half the population into lockdown just this week, Australia will be cutting by half the number of international arrivals it accepts. From the 14th of July, Australia will be accepting just over 3000 people a week. With the measure likely lasting until next year, the announcement sparked dismay amongst Australians living abroad and separated from their families. This measure is set to reduce pressure on the country’s quarantine system, says Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

The source of numerous outbreaks across the country have been linked to leaks from the hotel quarantine which is mandatory for all arrivals. Australia just has 8% of the population vaccinated so far. Around 37,000 Australians remain stranded overseas, with the government temporarily blocking its citizens from returning from India amidst the deadly wave in April. The border policies have sparked much criticism as it does not allow for many Australians to return home to their families.

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Photo Source: The Telegraph

Malta International Airport welcomes recognition of digital documents by health authorities

Jul 2 2021

The Malta International Airport announced today that they welcome the decision by the health authorities to recognise the digital versions of documents which are required for entry into Malta. This includes the UK digital vaccine certificate and the Malta digital Passenger Locator Form (dPLF) which forms part of a wider EU system. Stating this is an important step in the right direction, it is expected to contribute to a much improved experience for all guests arriving in Malta.

Despite this, passengers arriving with missing or paper-based documents are still to be expected. This requires manual verification by public health representatives. The airport would like to appeal in this light to prospective travellers for their cooperation by presenting and submitting required entry documents digitally whenever possible. The Malta International Airport also reminds departing and arriving passengers of the country-specific requirements which can all be found on the airport’s COVID-19 page.

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Photo Source: Malta International Airport

77% of businesses report finding workers troublesome

Jul 2 2021

A new report published by the Malta Chamber has revealed that 77% of businesses responding to a survey have trouble finding workers at various levels. Dealing with CEO confidence levels, the report represents a comparison of data from 199 respondents from the local business community during June. This survey took place before Malta’s grey-listing.

Employee retention has allegedly decreased for 18% of businesses, but ‘more significantly, 77% report trouble finding workers at a variety of levels.’ This is impacting a businesses’ ability to meet customer demand. 61% of leaders show that challenges ‘hiring are limiting the ability of their company to operate at full capacity.’

When asked whether they expect their firm’s total number of employees to increase during the upcoming 12 months, 40% responded yes and 51% stated they would remain at the same level. 9% said they expect them to decrease. 32% of respondents believe that the overall economic conditions in Malta, whereas 40% believe it remained the same and around 26% stating it improved.

The responses were all gathered before the FATF’s decision to grey list Malta and it is therefore unsure whether opinions remain the same.

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Photo Source: fauxels