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Malta could reach herd immunity by Sunday… then what?

Malta could reach herd immunity as soon as Sunday, then what?
May 21 2021 Share

On May 10, 60% of Malta’s population had received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, as reported by Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne. On May 15, the island’s vaccination programme went on to rank first globally based on the share of the population who had received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine at 64.15%, with Israel in second at 62.75%.

The National Statistics Office states that 432,616 adults in Malta are eligible for vaccination, out of which 70 per cent (302,831) need to receive the jab if Malta is to declare herd immunity. On Friday May 7, Superintendent for Public Health Prof. Charmaine Gauci stated that Malta’s herd immunity calculations are based on the fraction of citizens who have received just one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, previously anticipating herd immunity by the end of June.

If one had to take a 7-day average of first doses over the past 7 days, it would amount to an average daily increase of 3,124 first doses. This means that Malta could reach herd immunity as soon as Sunday.

Malta currently has 100 active COVID-19 cases after registering 2 new cases and 22 recoveries in the last 24 hours.

A Misunderstood Promise?

Social media was taken by storm after Chairman of the Valletta Cultural Agency Jason Micallef unveiled that he was officially informed that cultural events are completely ruled out for summer 2021. This spurred many figures in the business and industry to speak out against this decision, expressing their dismay at how the situation is being handled.

However, there is another side of the coin that should be addressed. Many were convinced that the vaccine rollout was the main weapon against the pandemic to not only be safe against the virus, but to ensure a return to normalcy. Many who were hesitant about the vaccine in fact were encouraged to receive their jab to contribute to achieving herd immunity and ensure a blissful yet safe summer of entertainment and much needed normality.

The situation is far from done and dusted as many in the industry, from club owners to DJs to performers and even simply club-goers pushing for the authorities to reassess their plan and actually wield the benefit of herd immunity to ensure that people can attend events safely.

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Hugo’s Group CEO Luke Chetcuti speaks out on nightclubs situation

Hugo’s Group CEO Luke Chetcuti speaks out on nightclubs situation
May 21 2021 Share

Luke Chetcuti

 

Following an announcement by Valletta Cultural Agency Jason Micallef that cultural events, from nightclubs to entertainment venues, will be ruled out for 2021, Hugo’s group CEO and Managing Director Luke Chetcuti spoke out on the situation to express his concern about the ‘ridiculousness’ of the situation. He stated that said venues had been kept in the dark with no help whatsoever for about a year. Despite boasting vaccine rollout, Chetcuti said that other countries with a less advanced rollout have already designed a direction for the industry.

 

 

Addressing the authorities, Chetcuti argued that ‘locking up’ people and keeping venues boarded up, people will still find ways of partying in unregulated environments with an easier chance of COVID-19 spread. ‘Isn’t it better to allow licensed establishments to host people in a regulated environment with checks being done daily by authorities rather than people doing as they wish in homes?’ he asked. He concluded by saying that this is a huge blow to the industry, considering that one of the main reasons tourists visit the island is the entertainment.

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Photo Source: Just Studio

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Thousands download vouchers in mere hours despite website crash

Thousands download vouchers in mere hours despite website crash
May 21 2021 Share

Following the announcement of the government’s second round of vouchers to provide financial aid due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the website seemingly crashed on the first day of its launch. Thousands of people downloaded the vouchers in mere hours following Minister for Economy Silvio Schembri’s announcement on Thursday. Many however were encountering problems with the website, with some being unable to input their details and others reporting authentication issues.

 

 

Last year, the vouchers were sent via mail to those over-16. The purpose of the website was to facilitate the application for vouchers and disseminate them easily. Following the error reports, tech teams were issued to work to fix the issue, with the website back up and running at around 7:15 p.m.

 

 

 

 

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Photo Source: Times of Malta, Silvio Schembri FB

Destiny singing in 6th place during Eurovision Final; back to third place in bidding

Destiny singing in 6th place during Eurovision Final
May 21 2021 Share

After a stellar performance during the first semi-final in Rotterdam, Maltese Eurovision Song Contest 2021 Ambassador Destiny Chukunyere will be performing her hit ‘Je Me Casse’ in 6th place after Russia and before Portugal. Cyprus will be opening the contest, with Elena Tsagrinou’s ‘El Diablo’, closing the night off with ‘Adrenalina’ by Senhit from San Marino.

 

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A post shared by Eurovision Song Contest (@eurovision)

A total of 26 countries will be competing during the final, all bringing their A-game to seize the 2021 title of winner. Destiny is, as of the time of this writing, in third place betting-wise behind Italy’s Maneskin and France’s Barbara Pravi. We are all sure Destiny will be rocking the stage next Saturday, and if her semi-final performance is something to go by, she will definitely prove to be a singing force to be reckoned with. Good luck Destiny!

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Photo Source: @eurovision IG