Professor Borg addresses AstraZeneca blood clot rumours during press conference

Apr 10 2021

Addressing a press conference this morning, Professor Borg stated that, following several concerns expressed by people contacting the health authorities, there is no direct link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and the thrombosis blood clot rumours. The Professor stated that the cases of blood clots are immensely rare but there is no direct link between receiving the vaccine and the formation of blood clots.

He also emphasised that the benefits of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh the possible side effects as contracting COVID-19 is far more dangerous. The European Medicines agency however did associate certain cases of cerebral venous thrombosis with the AstraZeneca vaccine, thus halting usage of the jab.

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96% of vulnerable people and people with disability vaccinated with both doses

Apr 10 2021

Apart from the decrease in daily cases and COVID-19 hospitalisations, Superintendent for Health Charmaine Gauci emphasised the vaccine rollout’s positive effect on pension homes due to being given priority. 96% of pensioners and persons with disabilities have been, according to the Superintendent, vaccinated with both COVID-19 doses.

This means that measures related to visiting family members in homes and centres for persons with disability will be eased. The deaths have also decreased due to the vaccinations, easing the pressures on Malta’s health care system as vaccine rollout continues to be distributed to younger ages.

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People over 50 may apply for vaccination via SMS or Online

Apr 10 2021

Addressing a press conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne stated that people over 50 may start applying to get the vaccination jab. The application may either happen via SMS or online. People who wish to apply via SMS by writing their ID card number on either 99180044 to receive the vaccine in Gozo or 99180045 for Malta.

The website vaccin.gov.mt will allow applicants to also input more information as well as choosing the location as to where they wish to get vaccinated. In other news, Fearne stated that several targets which were set last year have been superseded and this allows the age group of 50+ to receive the vaccine, signifying an efficient vaccine rollout.

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‘Urgent’ libel against Jason Azzopardi filed by Carmelo Abela

Apr 10 2021

Minister Carmelo Abela has filed a late night defamation lawsuit on Friday which demands that Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi should answer for his claims that link to the 2010 HSBC bank heist. Abela, who was a former HSBC employee at the time, has repeatedly denied these claims. Abela claimed in an affidavit that Azzopardi directly alluded to him being an accomplice as a reaction to the minister’s earlier Facebook post.

Azzopardi made the allegation through a Facebook post by stating that he was ‘no saint […] but better not to have been an accomplice in the HSBC hold-up. Abela was placed on spot by the Nationalist Party media over Vincent Muscat il-Kohhu’s claims about being the sitting MP involved in the heist. Azzopardi also claimed that Abela was promised €300,000, with Abela reacting to the claims as being ‘criminally slanderous.’

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