Outrage after Munxar residents asked to not feed stray cats

Aug 13 2022

Residents of Munxar expressed their disappointment after a letter was sent to a resident in the area which informed them to stop feeding stray cats due to large amount of strays.

The letter sparked some outrage, prompting a Facebook post which rhetorically asked whether feeding the cats and cleaning up afterwards have become against the law.

Many urged the person to keep feeding the strays, with a follow-up post by the local council later issued to the public clarifying the situation.

The local council said that it was never its intention to stop cat feeders from doing so. However, despite cat feeders deserving praise for their charitable actions, ‘it is the duty of the local council to also address complaints and find solutions.’

‘In fact, with complete collaboration with the Animal Welfare, the local council has already installed a cat shelter in the locality.’

The statement highlighted that the local council had long been receiving complaints that cat feeding was occurring in a particular roundabout and that it was not being cleaned up afterwards. This despite the signage put up to remind feeders to clean up afterwards.

‘Unfortunately, the situation continue to escalate and this led to further complaints and disagreements in between residents. For this reason, the local council is committed to find an adequate place for the cat feeding to occur and not in one of the busiest roads of the town.’

The statement also posted photos of the very same evening, showing remains of cat food left outside and not cleaned up. What do you make of the situation?

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Lowest COVID positivity and death rate since March after spike

Aug 13 2022

Malta’s COVID-19 positivity rate has dropped down significantly to its lowest figure since March 2022.

According to EU data and ECDC weekly reports, the rate is at just 5.9%, making it also the lowest in Europe. The plummet follows a spike of over 40%, which was a record since the pandemic hit in 2020.

The positivity rate, which deals with number of infections detected from total number of tests conducted, dropped to 5% in March before starting to rise.

The spike was cut short earlier in July, easing the strain off of medical staff. Health authorities are carrying out around 1,000 tests daily, as the hospital admission rate also drops to 4.1 patients per 100,000.

The country’s death rate in terms of COVID-19 is also no longer the highest in the European zone, but still remains in the top few. In the week reviewed, the death rate stood at 42.6 deaths per 1 million people.

Malta has currently registered a total of 797 deaths, with over 113,000 cases. 111,708 of those recovered, with at least 1.33 million doses of the COVID vaccine administered. Around 470,000 are fully vaccinated (89.6% of population).

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No one injured as three balconies collapse in Marsaskala

Aug 13 2022

Thankfully, no one was injured in an incident which occurred in Triq iż-Żonqor, Marsaskala wherein three balconies collapsed onto the road.

Marsaskala mayor Mario Calleja took to social media and reported the incident to the police, with Civil Protection also getting involved on the case.

A police spokesperson revealed to TVM News that they received the report at around 2045hrs on Friday, explaining that a balcony collapsed and took down two other balconies beneath it.

A car bonnet was also damaged due to the debris. Enemalta was informed to ensure that there is no other potential hazards in the area, but people were still urged to avoid the area for safety.

#MaltaDaily

WATCH: Moviment Graffiti continue protest on Comino despite police presence

Aug 13 2022

Amassing around 100 activists, Moviment Graffiti and members of the public, returned to Comino on Saturday in protest against the hijacking of Blue Lagoon.

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The protesters were met with heavy police presence as the officers attempted to stop the protest. Protesters were even confronted by beachgoers complaining about the demonstration, to whom the activists said that they were exercising their rights.

Chanting the previously used slogan of “il-baħar, ix-xatt, Kemmuna ta’ kulħadd’ and waving placards, the activists expressed their frustration at the lack oof action by the authorities to address the highly commercialised state of Blue Lagoon.

The NGO organised boat trips from Ċirkewwa and Mġarr (Gozo) as it invited the public to the protest. This planning prompted the commercial operators to remove the deckchairs and umbrellas.

Today’s protest follows two open letters to ministers responsible for several aspects of the island management. The group clarified that the pressure will not die down as long as the situation does not change.

The main demands are: deckchairs and umbrellas should be only set up at the request of a person physically present von the spot; big boats disembarking hundreds of tourists should be prohibited; a limit of two small kiosks without music in Blue Lagoon; and a restriction on the type and amount of waste generated.

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