Malta no longer on green list due to COVID-19 case spike

Nov 19 2021

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) downgraded Malta from the green to orange list due to a COVID-19 case spike. With cases going up from around 250 to around 700 in the span of two weeks, hospitalisations and deaths have remained stable.

There are currently 15 patients at Mater Dei hospital due to COVID infections, with three being in the ITU (as of time of this writing). Health Minister Chris Fearne revealed that the focus moved from daily cases to the hospitalisation rate due to the vaccine rollout.

The booster shot programme is also doing relatively well, with 85,000 jabs administered already. This news comes as the rest of Europe experiences a massive surge in cases, with almost all countries on orange or red lists.

As of yet, no measures were increased or removed due to the epidemiological situation being manageable so far. Prime Minister Robert Abela however urged those who receive their booster shot invitation to take it as the vaccine is the crucial step towards normality.

#MaltaDaily

Gozo’s LGBTIQ+ 10 proposals to make sexual health and education safer

Nov 19 2021

In a policy paper on Sexual health and Reproductive Rights (SRHR) in Malta, Gozo’s LGBTIQ+ organisation is calling for gender affirmation surgery to be provided for free by the government. This means that the surgery would no longer be considered a cosmetic procedure. The organisation, which offers various services to queer individuals and their relatives, is putting forward several other proposals.

Working with educators, civil society group and the general public to provide community outreach, the group is offering up 10 total proposals. The organisation called for more developments to the first GU clinic which was opened in Gozo in May 2021. This also includes calling for longer hours for the recruitment and training of new staff.

The proposals also ask for an increased accessibility o relevant information. This could be achieved through educational leaflets placed in institutions. Furthermore, a sexual health mobile clinic that tours Malta offering services is another important proposal. The organisation emphasised the importance of making the Morning After Pill free for all and available through different means.

This comes after recent statistics collected by MaltaToday revealing that pharmacies opening on Sundays and public holidays do not sell the pill.

More proposals include the increase of gender-neutral bathrooms in public grounds, a bi-annual multidisciplinary conference about sexual health and reproductive rights, a lifting of the ban on MSM blood donation as well as mainstreaming HIV medication in Malta.

#MaltaDaily

Original Harry Potter trio to reunite for TV Special on January 1st 2022

Nov 19 2021

The original cast of the Harry Potter series is set to reunite for a TV special 20 years on from the first film screening… and fans are going crazy!

HBO Max is set to bring back Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) together on the 1st of January of 2022, setting the stage for a magical start of a new year.

American filmmaker Chris Columbus, who previously expressed wishes to make a film with the trio, will be joining the cast to discuss the films and their creation in depth.

The creator of the Harry Potter universe herself JK Rowling however does not seem to be joining the cast for the reunion. This follows after she made some controversial comments about the trans community last year.

The reunion was announced through a 52 second trailer featuring clips from several Harry Potter films, promising more actors to appear for the reunion. This includes Tom Felton, who portrayed Draco Malfoy, and Matt Lewis (Neville Longbottom).

The actors themselves took to social media to raise the excitement levels to a new level. The reunion is set to bring together Harry Potter fans together again, reminiscent of the long lines of fans awaiting the next book and movie release.

#MaltaDaily

Ed Sheeran & Elton John to launch special Christmas project

Nov 18 2021

As if we didn’t have enough to look forward to for this year’s Christmas season, singing-songwriting superstar Ed Sheeran to announce that he will be collaborating with music icon Elton John for a special festive project.

Published on Wednesday, the Instagram post featured Sheeran and John dressed up in festive clothing and was captioned “Coming soon”, hinting at a potential Christmas track or even album! Beyond being an iconic musician, Elton John recently experienced a massive resurgence in popularity thanks to his hit collaboration with Dua Lipa ‘Cold Heart.’

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)

With Sheeran and John’s collaboration, Mariah Carey’s Christmas Special on Apple TV and a handful of new Christmas tracks from the likes of ABBA, Sigrid and Gary Barlow, Christmas can’t come any sooner.

#MaltaDaily