COVID-19 vaccination for children supported by paediatric association

Dec 20 2021

The paediatric lobby group has expressed its support of vaccinating children with the COVID-19 vaccine as ‘serious complications from the virus can occur in healthy kids’.

Despite virus complications being uncommon, the Maltese Paediatric Association released a statement backing the vaccination rollout for those aged five to 11.

The association said that ‘children respond well to the currently approved COVID-19 vaccine, which has been shown to be 90%. The vaccine has been shown to be safe when used in several million children in the USA.’

Kids between the ages of 5 and 11 began to receive the jab on the 14th December, with the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine approved by the EMA last month. Two injections are given three weeks apart, with the jab being a third of the dose of that of adults for kids.

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Photo Source: Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials

Around 5000 people in quarantine Charmaine Gauci revealed

Dec 20 2021

Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci revealed in her segment ‘Ask Charmaine’ that around 5,000 people are currently quarantined due to COVID-19.

The number is set to rise, as Malta currently has 2190 active cases, with 252 registered in the last 24 hours. The number of people quarantined also includes those who came from dark red countries and are/or are not vaccinated.

Around 85% of those who tested positive are showing symptoms, with others showing mild symptoms or none whatsoever. In terms of the booster dose, it seems to show 90% effectiveness against the Omicron variant.

The newly registered variant, first found in South Africa, is expected to be the dominant strain by the start of next year. Malta currently has no cases of the variant, but it is only a matter of if and not when, revealed Health Minister Fearne last week.

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Photo Source: Charmaine Gauci FB

Spider-Man No Way Home with third biggest box office opening in history

Dec 20 2021

The third instalment to the web-slinger’s official MCU presence, Spider-Man No Way Home has had the third biggest box office opening in all of history.

It managed to rake a whopping $587.2 million around the world, bested only by Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. But that’s not really an issue for Holland as he appeared in both those films as well, with Marvel leading the charge.

This is made even more impressive considering that the movie is releasing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the surge of the Omicron variant.

According to Sky News, the film has already taken $253 million in the US and $334.2 million form around 60 overseas markets. It is currently on course to surpass the current highest grossing film of 2021, No Time To Die.

With a superb cast in terms of heroes and villains, theories about the film raged like wild-fire. It’s success seemed inevitable, with Marvel clearly doing right by the friendly neighbourhood hero.

Rotten Tomatoes currently has a 94% critic score and a 99% audience score. Holland himself thanked the fans for the massive support, promising a heart-warming, enticing and surprisingly mature take on the hero.

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Photo Source: Den Of Geek, quicktelecast

€300,000 in taxes and fines for Labour MP Ian Castaldi Paris

Dec 20 2021

MP Ian Castaldi Paris will have to pay around €300,000 in overdue taxes and penalties following a probe into his fiscal affairs found hundred of thousands in undeclared income.

Times of Malta confirmed that Castaldi was handed a repayment agreement by tax authorities in recent weeks after months of talks. The agreement comes after the notary was probed by the Tax Compliance Unit after concerns were raised by a local bank two years ago.

Insisting the he was the subject of a standard audit covering the years before he was elected, he also said that he paid taxes every year and did not start paying tax because he decided to contest elections.

Castaldi was asked whether he informed the Parliamentary Speaker of his updated financial position as is obliged, with the MP responding that there was no need to inform the speaker of anything.

‘I have been an MP since May 2020 an my parliamentary declaration of assets always reflected the truth, so there is nothing to inform the speaker about’ve said. Times of Malta checked with parliament earlier this month, discovering that his filings had not yet been updated.

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Photo Source: Ian Castaldi Paris FB