Ex-inmate details finding cellmate attempting to commit suicide

Aug 15 2021

Speaking during an interview with Times of Malta, ex-prisoner Anthony Borg details the events leading up to him finding a cellmate attempting to commit suicide at Corradino Correctional Facility. Borg, who has just been released, stated how inmates were being pushed to the brink of what they can endure, describing the poison as the ‘Corradino Vindictive Facility.’

He reveals how prisoners were punished by being transferred to worse divisions inside the facility and how he himself was placed in the same cell for 5 days with a COVID-19 positive inmate. Having been in and out of jail multiple times due to his drug addiction, he details how life inside prison became too difficult since Colonel Alex Dalli took over as CCF director, allegedly walking around with an armed revolver.

Xarabank host Peppi Azzopardi also opened up about speaking to Borg, revealing how the inmate was locked in a cell for 23 hours straight without a fan. The heat resulted in his cellmate fainting, despite Borg requesting to open the cell for air. Borg found the prisoner attempting to commit suicide by hanging the next day. The correction services agency defended its procedures however, insisting that personnel were professional and treat the prisoners with respect.

#MaltaDaily

Photo Source: Times of Malta, Peppi Azzopardi FB, Wikipedia

Malta Football Association responds to online backlash due to unsanitary stadium seats

Aug 15 2021

Posts and comments on social media lashed out at the Malta Football Association following pictures of unsanitary football stadium seats. Several commenters pointed out how the state of the seats is a disgrace, especially when considering that the stadiums are welcoming supporters and foreigners to watch a game whilst the National team is playing at home.

One other commenter went as far to state how the seats’ state could result in a COVID-19 infection, promptly suggesting that the health department should intervene and investigate the situation. MaltaDaily has reached out to the Malta Football Association for a statement, and this was their response.

The Association stated that it understands the justifiable concerns and criticism. It highlighted how before the championships started, an intensive effort to sanitise used stadia was initiated. However, due to limitations in terms of permissible spectators, sectors which are not open as often are being used.

Apart from the situation being one of cleanliness, the seats are also exposed to elemental forces, to which the only available response would be changing the seats themselves. This is a very costly endeavour, and highly disproportionate considering the stadia are rarely used. Despite this, the association understands how this is no justification for a spectator to find a seat in such a condition. The association will be taking every necessary precaution to fix the situation as soon as possible.

#MaltaDaily

COVID-19 might stick around as world lags behind on herd immunity

Aug 15 2021

Speaking on ‘Indepth’, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne stated how, despite Malta having reached herd immunity, the world’s lagging in this regard might mean that COVID-19 will be here to stay. As Malta boasts a herd immunity of just under 90%, many other countries are still well off and might not develop this target. This means COVID-19 might turn from a pandemic into an endemic virus – meaning it will be sticking around for a while.

Fearne stated that herd immunity is a mathematical formula which changes according to several factors, which include variants and the reproduction rate of the virus. The original COVID-19 strain had a reproduction rate of about 2.5, meaning herd immunity was set at 60%. The variants complicated the situation, with the Delta variant in particular bossing it up to 90%. Malta has vaccinated around 89% of the population, meaning the island is almost there.

However, the world seems to be lagging considerably and this could turn the virus into an endemic. This means that we will have to deal with the virus through booster doses, which need to be up to date with all the latest information. Fearne added how these latest developments mean that the entire population needs to be vaccinated because of this formula, even though the vaccines are not 100% effective. COVID-19 might just become another disease we live with.

#MaltaDaily

Photo Source: Anna Shvets, Chris Fearne FB

Residents and MPs angered by Marsaskala yacht marina plans

Residents and MPs angered by Marsaskala marina yacht plans

Aug 15 2021

After Transport Malta released the plans for a massive yacht marina for Marsaskala creek last Friday, social media was taken up by anger and concern. Residents commented how the new plans will deprive them of all swimming areas as the preliminary design in Annex 2 of the document shows most of the coastline taken up by pontoons.

The plans are part of a pre-qualification questionnaire for the award of a concession to design, build and operate a yacht marina from the inner side to the outmost points of the creek. Apart from not leaving any swimming area for residents, the plans would make it impossible for fireworks to be set off from the sea and also raises concern over the impact on the saline marshland at il-Maghluq.

Of those who came out against the plans were Labour MP Jean Claude Micallef who was elected from the district. Writing to Facebook, he stated how despite losing everything to enter politics, he would not let the bay in Marsascala be lost. He stated how he found out about these plans through the media and that an MP from the same district should be informed of such plans.

He called for everyone who cares for Wied il-Ghajn to attend an urgent Local Council meeting this upcoming Monday. Sharing Micallef’s post, PN MP Beppe Fenech Adami commented how the Labour government has also ignored its own MPs’ concerns over such plans and went ahead with the designs.

The Nationalist Party as a whole also commented on the plans, stating that a issuing a tender for a massive yacht marina in Marsascala is ‘tantamount to putting the cart before the horse’. Speaking during a press conference on Saturday, PN spokesperson Peter Agius said that while the PN were in support of infrastructure investment, residents also had the right to be in the know of how the project could impact the environment and quality of life.

Agius pointed out how the community’s interest should not come second as the project is already at a tendering stage with no resident consultation. Marsascala minority leader John Baptist Camilleri also commented, stating that the council was surprised by the plans to construct a full-scale marina. They were, allegedly, under the impression that the plans were to build a breakwater in the area.

#MaltaDaily

Photo Source: Beppe Fenech Adami FB, Jean Claude Micallef FB