It is time to take a decision to either remain on the path for a bigger loss for the party, or the path for a better party and future, Joseph Grech, president of the Nationalist’s Party youth movement, said on Friday.

He was addressing an extraordinary session of the general council, with members voting on whether the general convention should hold a vote of confidence in him or a leadership election.

“We have two roads ahead of us; we can take the road which we know, the road which can lead us to bigger mistakes, or we can chose a new road, one which can lead us to a new destination, a better party and future,” said the MZPN president.

Time and time again, MZPN has taken a stand that the Nationalist Party needs a new leader and has spoken openly of its loss of confidence in the party leader.

“This was not an easy decision,” said Grech, “we could have remained quiet, we could have sat back and watched the situation get worse and worse (…) we did not take the easy route, we decided to take the harder one, to continue to be persistent and fight for a better party.”

He said that MZPN took such a decision for the youths of the party, the same youths which the party has now moved away from. “The youths do not want a country where there are no alternatives to a lying and corrupt government.” He said that people want better democracy, both within the party and the country.

Grech highlighted that he was one of the many who voted for Delia three years ago, and that now he is ‘disappointed’ with the situation the party is in. “I voted for the current leader three years ago; do you think I am comfortable about the situation we find ourselves in because of the leader?”

He said that he was amongst the other members and councillors during the last meeting, where they were asked if the Nationalist Party could win the next general election. “Not even a quarter of the councillors have faith in the leader, many of us believe that the Nationalist Party cannot win a general election.” He said that despite the Labour government is full of corruption which has brought the country down on its knees; the Nationalist Party is still in no position to win the upcoming general election. “We have given up hope on our leader.”

Grech said that he, like many others have spent time thinking and deciding what can be done for the party. “If there are people who truly love the party and want this party to get back on its feet, we need a credible and relevant leader; one that has a vision for where the party needs to go and for the country.” He said that what the party is currently facing is extraordinary and it is unfair that the leader has put so much scrutiny on the party. “No one is bigger than the party and I am here to tell the tesserati (paid-up members) to do what is best for the party and take the decision for a new leader.

“To vote for a leadership election will provide us with candidates within the party showing us their skills and talents and what they can do to bring the PN in the right direction,” Grech said. “I believe that the party is ready to change, to be more credible, and to be a party for the people. Let us take the right road and I push the councillors to give the tesserati (paid- members) the choice for a new leader.”

General council members are being asked to vote between the “PN of the past and the PN of hope,” party leader Adrian Delia said on Friday.

He was addressing an extraordinary session of the general council, with members voting on whether the general convention should hold a vote of confidence in him or a leadership election.

In an impassioned speech, Delia said councillors must choose between the pre-2013 PN that so many people had abandoned, the PN of the few, or the PN of the many.

Delia said the party’s tesserati had entrusted him to lead the party for five years. Last year, the general council backed him again. “We knew that the New Way would be met with harsh resistance.”

“I am here before you for a third time. Change is never easy, but we have to believe that it is what we need. The methods of the past resist those of the present, but we have to have faith that this is being done because it is the just thing to do for the party. The road to change always triumphs, in the end.”

Delia said he has never given up or let himself be intimidated. “I sacrificed everything and suffered on a personal level. I lost my family and gave up my business. There were times when I cried alone, because I am a person like you. But every heartache led to more motivation and determination that we can achieve what we set out to do three years ago.”

The PN leader said he faced a corrupt and criminal government but was never afraid. “I went to court on my own to get our hospitals back. I exposed myself to great personal and financial risk, but I did not give up and will not rest until the people get back what belongs to them. I am determined to succeed.”

“We piled up pressure on Joseph Muscat’s government until it collapsed. Thanks to our pressure, Keith Schembri, Chris Cardona and Konrad Mizzi resigned. So did the Police Commissioner. I won the case to have the Egrant report published.”

A month later, Delia said, it was claimed that he was under investigation by the FIAU, but this was untrue. “I challenged anyone with information to come forward by no one did. They attacked my family when they found nothing against me. I have nothing to be afraid of. I have no money abroad. I did not launder money or open companies abroad. I never accepted money from anyone. No, I don’t have hundreds of thousands in the bank, but that is not a crime. I will never give in to corruption.”

Delia said he had inherited a party that was in a grave financial situation, but the situation has changed. Memberships have increased and new people have asked to become election candidates.

“Over the past three years I sought to unite the party. We have to acknowledge that there are a number of MPs who have tried to remove me. They did not manage through the constitution, so they are now trying through the party statute. There are many nationalists who are angered and frustrated by what is happening within the party they love.”

“Forgive me if I failed you or hurt you, but I am determined to see the mandate you trusted me with through to the end.”

The PN is at a crossroads, he said. “You have a clear choice before you …. a PN of of the many or of the few. Let us confirm the leader, not because it is me, but because we are so close to an election and we have to be prepared for it together. We cannot put up a good fight against our adversaries if we are not united. You elected me for five years and I don’t want us to stop mid-way through.”

Delia said that, in order to achieve better survey results, the party must be united.

“This is not a party of the select few but a party for all. There is a place for everyone. We are their voice.”

Delia said a name change for the party was proposed recently but he did not agree with the change, “because the PN has nothing to be ashamed of.”

“With your vote, I will go to the tesserati to be confirmed. With their backing, we will be in a position to give a new lease of life to the party. If you feel the same passion, determination and love towards the party, then a new dawn will break tomorrow.”

People out there are waiting, he said, but they do not want to return to a pre-2013 PN. “They want a PN that serves and respects people. This is not a vote about Adrian Delia, or about the PN, but about whether we want the PN of the past or the PN of the people. A PN of the few, or a PN of hope.” 

The economy of the 19-country eurozone shrank by a devastating 12.1% percent in the April-June period from the quarter before - the largest drop on record - as coronavirus lockdowns shut businesses and hampered consumer spending.

Economists say the worst of the downturn is past as many restrictions have eased, but that the recovery will be drawn out and vulnerable to renewed virus outbreaks.

Spain, which along with Italy was among the first to get hit hard by the spread of the virus, suffered the region's heaviest drop at 18.5%. France, Italy and Portugal also endured steep declines, but no country escaped the impact of the pandemic.

For the currency union as a whole it was the biggest decline since the records started in 1995. The broader 27-country European Union, not all of whose members use the euro, saw output sag 11.9%.

The decline in Europe compares with a 9.5% quarter-on-quarter drop in the United States, which unlike Europe has not yet been able to get its contagion numbers firmly down yet and whose economic recovery is in doubt.

European governments are countering the recession with massive stimulus measures. EU leaders have agreed on a 750 billion-euro recovery fund backed by common borrowing to support the economy from 2021. National governments have stepped in with loans to keep businesses afloat and wage support programs that pay workers' salaries while they are furloughed. The European Central Bank is pumping 1.35 trillion euros in newly printed money into the economy, a step which helps keep borrowing costs low.

Those support measures have helped keep unemployment from spiking. The rate rose to 7.8% in June from 7.7% in May. But many job losses will wind up being permanent despite the stimulus. Major companies such as Lufthansa, Daimler and Airbus have said they will cut thousands of jobs.

Economists say the downturn was concentrated in the months of April and May when lockdowns were most severe. Many restrictive measures have been eased, and business confidence in Germany, the biggest eurozone economy, has ticked up for three straight months.

But the outlook is for a long and uncertain climb back to pre-virus levels that could take until 2022 or longer. Company forecasts for the rest of the year assumed that there is not a renewed outbreak of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Cases have been rising again in several countries as people go on vacations and Britain slapped a 14-day quarantine on travelers returning from Spain.

Rosie Colthorpe, European economist at Oxford Economics, said the current third quarter was likely to see high growth rates, “but not nearly large enough to make up for the damage.”

“Beyond this initial bounce, the recovery is set to be gradual and uneven,” with pre-virus output regained only by mid-2022, she said, adding that “recent flare-ups of the virus in several European countries risk derailing this recovery.”

The Spanish economic drop was by far the sharpest since the country’s national statistics agency began collecting data. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was meeting later Friday with the leaders of Spain’s regions to discuss how to rebuild the economy and where to deploy billions of euros in European Union aid for recovery.

Germany, the largest of the countries that use the euro, went through a 10.1% decline, the biggest since records started in 1970.

In France, the startling plunge of 13.8% in April-June was the third consecutive quarter of contraction in France's worsening recession. The pain has been so damaging to jobs and industries that the government is talking down the possibility of another nationwide lockdown as infections tick upward again. Finance minister Bruno Le Maire called on French people to spend more to help the economy recover.

“All the growth in GDP seen in the 2010-2019 decade has been wiped out in five months,” said Marc Ostwald, chief economist at ADM Investor Services International. In Italy's case, economists said it wiped out about 30 years of growth.

I Choose, a post-secondary education fair targeted at all Form 5 (Year 11) students providing information on post-secondary and tertiary institutions was launched on Friday. 

The fair will involve a number of stands for post-Secondary and Tertiary Institutions with guidance practitioners and school educators providing information and support to interested students. 

The fair will be held at the Grand Hotel Excelsior on Friday 31 July, between 16:00- 20:00 and Saturday 1 August between 9:00- 13:00. Talks will be given by speakers coming from different sectors of Employment and Education/Training. 

The fair was launched by Education and Employment Minister Owen Bonnici, who explained that students and their parents can come to the fair to find all the information they need regarding courses that different institutions are offering. 

“Our educators will also provide the support needed by these students to decide on which career path to embark. This will be another opportunity whereby our students can explore post-secondary options as they leave compulsory education,” said Bonnici.

Bonnici added that the fair is a perfect opportunity for curious students to attend different talks and to ask any questions they might have to different professionals in various related fields.

Middleman in the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination Melvin Theuma remains in stable condition and is being kept in the Mater Dei Hospital ENT ward, the police said.

His condition is unchanged since the last update yesterday evening. He has been in stable condition for a number of days, and was moved out of Mater Dei's Intensive Therapy Unit earlier this week.

Theuma was found in a pool of blood in his Swieqi home on Tuesday 21 July, after allegedly trying to kill himself. He was operated on that night, and sustained serious wounds to his neck, chest, and left wrist.

The PN's general council kicks off tonight, with councillors voting on whether the party's general convention should vote for a leader or confirm incumbent Adrian Delia.

Agreement on the general council and the wording of the vote was reached during a stormy meeting of the party's executive committee last week.

Delia has been facing renewed calls for his resignation ever since the latest trust surveys and claims that he was in contact with 17 Black owner Yorgen Fenech.

He recently lost two votes of confidence; one by the parliamentary group and a second at the executive council. The PN leader has warned that there is not place in the party for those who are not willing to work with him.

His detractors, who had nominated MP Therese Comodini Cachia to replace him as Opposition Leader, say Delia should go because he is unfit to be a leader and has failed to unite the party or make any inroads in opinion polls.

Over 400 councillors have already voted on Thursday, in an early voting session. Over 1,600 councillors are eligible to vote. Delia has said that he would contest a leadership election if the councillors go for this option.

In either case, it will be the party's tesserati (paid-up members) who would vote in a leadership election or in a confidence vote.

General Council president Censu Galea is expected to be the first speaker tonight, followed by MZPN President Joe Grech and PN Leader Adrian Delia.

The session is not open to the public due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Galea urged councillors to put the best interests of the country before anything else when voting. He urged those present to show respect towards each other, even if they did not agree with their opinion. It is only with reciprocal respect that the PN can unite and once again become an effective opposition, he said.

Four large international music festivals which are set for later this summer are to be cancelled due to growing concerns related to Covid-19, Times of Malta reported on Friday.

The four events planned for August and September are the BPM Festival Malta, Escape 2 The Island, Mi Casa Festival and Rhythm and Waves Festival.

Times of Malta reported that a statement will likely be issued on Friday evening confirming this.

The parties were promoted on an international level, welcoming international and local partygoers for the large events.

The BBC in fact on Wednesday reported that Malta was hoping to be the 2020 hotspot for festivals such as these, aiming to welcome thousands of party-goers from overseas.

The report came as Malta continues to face an increase in the number of cases of the virus, with two mass events – a weekend-long party at a hotel and a village feast – being the main contributors to this increase. 

During a press conference on Thursday, Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne announced a number of new measures pertaining to mass gatherings.

He announced a new restriction on headcount at events and mass parties, along with the cancellation of feast marches.

The Medical Association of Malta, which has been at the forefront of calls for all mass events to be called off, however said that the restrictions were not good enough, and that they would go ahead with industrial action on Monday if the events are not cancelled.

Two men will be arraigned in court this evening over the shooting which took place in Mqabba earlier this week.

The arraignment comes after the police said that they had found the weapon allegedly used in the shooting in a tree in a field in Kirkop.

In the shooting, 27-year-old Saviour Gaffarena (below, left) was killed while his 17-year-old cousin Vince Gafferena (below, right) was also shot and injured.  Police said that he remains in critical but stable condition at Mater Dei Hospital.

The two suspects, who were arrested less than three hours after the shooting took place, are 18 and 19 years old.

They were arrested in Kirkop.

The police received a call at 11.15 pm on Wednesday night, informing them that there were a few people injured on the Mqabba bypass. Police officers who were on duty at the fireworks festival in the area saw a vehicle – a Renault Megane - drive towards them with the driver tooting its horn. The driver exited the vehicle and was yelling that they were shot.

Medical teams who were already on site due to the festival as well as a Mater Dei team, rushed towards the driver and the passenger.

Saviour Gaffarena died on site, having been shot in the head. His cousin was shot in the chest.

The two suspects are expected to be arraigned before Magistrate Ian Farrugia and face murder and attempted murder charges amongst others.

The BOV Group Interim Financial Statement for the first half of 2020 show that the bank has seen a 75% drop in its profit before tax (PBT) when compared to results of 2019, however, it is focused on retaining its resilience by subjecting its future plans to stress testing.

This was announced during press conference in which BOV Group gave a presentation of its Interim Financial Statements for the first half of 2020, ending 30 June.

“There are two major issues which these financial statements have been affected; COVID-19 but also self-investments and costs for the bank itself so that highest standards of governance and risk assessments are carried out,” BOV Group Interim Chairman Alfred Lupi said.

He added that these results need to be taken in the current context wherein the economic situation is still going through disruptions which has obviously had an impact on results.

BOV Group CEO Rick Hunkin explained that for the first six months of 2020, BOV reported a profit-before-tax of €13.8 million representing an annualised return on equity (pre-tax) of 2.6%. Notably, this is a 75% decrease from last year statistics which saw a total of €54.3 million in PBT.

Net interest income, which remains the main revenue driver for the Group, amounted to €72.3 million, €5.3 million less than the income registered for the same period in 2019.

“The persistently low to negative interest rate environment, coupled with a conservative risk appetite, limited investment opportunities and increased levels of liquidity which attract negative interest, resulted in lower earnings on the Bank’s investment portfolio,” Hunkin explained.

Demand for credit was primarily related to liquidity shortages brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, the demand for home loans was subdued when compared to previous years and this is mostly attributed to changed consumer behaviour influenced by the pandemic situation.

Commission and trading profits amounted to €37 million, 19% lower than the first six months of 2019. The economic slowdown caused by COVID-19 had an adverse effect on commissions earned, especially those relating to the card and payment business and investment related products. Income from foreign exchange transactions was also negatively impacted.

Nonetheless, Hunkin said that the de-risking programme and its execution is proceeding at an accelerated pace.  “While the Bank is registering lower revenues, within the expected parameter, as some customers and business lines which fall outside the Bank’s risk appetite are exited, it is nonetheless improving the Bank’s risk position and long-term sustainability.”

Total costs for the first half of the year increased by €8.2 million to €89.5 million.

The increase is attributed to IT costs related to the new core banking system which went live at the start of the year, increasing staff costs mainly in recruitment in the Risk and Compliance areas, and professional fees engaged in the implementation of the transformation programme with on-going initiatives geared towards lowering the risk profile of the Bank.

“Expected credit losses are highly sensitive to judgements and assumptions and, as with any economic forecast, subject to a degree of inherent uncertainty which has been augmented in the current circumstances which remain fluid and undefined,” Hunkin explained. The net impairment charge of €7.5 million includes circa €10 million which is predominantly attributed to COVID-19; offset by strong recoveries of past debts previously provided for.

Despite these hindrances, the Group ensured that it remains highly liquid, with cash and short-term funds increasing by €178.3 million (4.3%) during the six months. Customer deposits increased by over €500 million since the start of the financial year and reached €11.1 billion at the end of June 2020. Net loans and advances increased by €91 million since December 2019, an annualised growth rate of 4%, and stand at €4.7 billion at 30 June 2020. 

Interim Chairman Lupi said that the Group wants to remain in a strong position in order to meet these unprecedented challenges and it is taking extra measures by subjecting its financial and liquidity plans to stress testing of plausible challenging scenarios “so that BOV has enough oxygen to provide for local economy.”

“I am confident that the revised BOV strategy will not only deliver marked improvements in customer and employee satisfaction, but it will also lead to improved financial performance, continuing to build upon a stronger risk and governance position. Post COVID, we also expect to be able to demonstrate a more positive and stable return for our shareholders,” he said.

Asked what their outlook is for the future of Malta’s economy, Lupi said that there is too much uncertainty around so it is difficult to pre-guess but the Group’s view has always been about looking at the future and stress testing it plans without being too pessimistic or optimistic.

From his end, Hunkin said that there are many different views and it depends on which person one speaks with. “The central bank view is an 11% drop in GDP and we believe that this is a reasonable assumption. However, Malta has shown that it is resilient and if there is no second wave we will remain cautiously optimistic.”

A loggerhead turtle named Dodo was released this morning at Riviera Bay, Għajn Tuffieha after being rehabilitated with the help of Nature Trust - FEE Malta and the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA). 

During an educational event by Nature Trust Malta which included a beach clean-up with kids and the turtle release, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia thanked all volunteers including the Majjistral Park rangers, as well as ERA for their important work in favour of marine and biodiversity protection. He explained that biodiversity is high on the EU agenda under the German Presidency at the moment, and that the ministry is leading and promoting a number of initiatives in marine protection including new light pollution guidelines, and the Saving our Blue campaign aimed at minimising beach litter and single-use plastics. 

ERA is engaged in an agreement with Nature Trust Malta to assist financially in the rescue and rehabilitation of injured fauna.

Nature Trust Malta President Vince Attard explained that Dodo was brought in injured by a fishing hook and was medicated for the past year. He said that currently, fishermen are reporting large number of loggerhead turtles and so Dodo has a good chance at joining other turtles in the Maltese waters.

A person who attended a party held at Gianpula last Sunday has tested positive for Coronavirus, however was not infectious on the day of the party - meaning that transmission of the virus would not have happened at the party.

This was revealed by the organisers of the event – a company called Indigo MT – on the Facebook event itself on Friday afternoon, with the same organisers later updating their followers with news from health authorities.

“We have just been made aware that a person who attended the event on Sunday tested positive for COVID-19. We are in touch with the authorities to understand why they haven’t yet launched contact tracing efforts”, the organisers said.

“It’s our duty to inform you of the news and recommend that you get tested. Call 111, the COVID helpline number”, they added.

In an update a few hours later however, Indigo said that health authorities had told them that the person was not infectious at the time of the party.

"We have just been in contact with the health authorities who explained that the reason why contact tracing efforts have not been launched is because the individual who tested positive was NOT infectious on the day of the party, on Sunday 26th July", the organisers said.

Regardless of this, they said that the authorities are urging anybody who develops symptoms to phone the COVID helpline 111 to make an appointment.

The event took place last Sunday on 26 July at Gianpula Village.

It will no doubt spark further concerns over mass events, after the number of Coronavirus cases spiked as a result of clusters from two separate mass events.

The first was a weekend-long party called Hotel Takeover, from which 20 cases have emerged, while the second is the Santa Venera village feast, from which another 16 cases have emerged.

Malta currently has 150 active cases of the virus, 85 of which are migrants who were rescued during the past week.

In response to growing pressure, The government announced new restrictions on mass events on Thursday evening.

The restrictions include capacity restrictions, with venues being able to accept only the equivalent of one person for every four square metres, social distancing regulations, and also the banning of feast marches.  Events of over 100 people need to pass a risk assessment form to be held.

A 19 year old man landed in Gozo’s court after being arrested in connection with a robbery in Gozo.

The man, who is a resident of Santa Venera, was arrested in connection with a motorcycle theft in Kercem, Gozo.

The man was arrested after several days of investigations by the Anti-Violent Crime Squad within the Department of Major Crimes, together with the Gozo District Police.

The investigations began on 20 June 2020, after police were informed that a Honda motorcycle was stolen from Triq Qasam San Gorg, Kercem, Gozo.

After investigations conducted by the police, the young man was identified as the alleged thief and was arrested.

On Friday 31 July at around 11:30 am, the police took the man to court before the Magistrate Simone Grech, who charged him with theft.

The accused pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him and was released on condition that he does not commit another offense within the three years.

The prosecution in this case was led by Inspectors Mario Xiberras and Bernard Charles Spiteri.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence counsel. 

Animal Welfare have rescued a pitbull puppy after its owner was filmed physically abusing it in the balcony of a flat.

The case was reported on by animal rights activist Alison Bezzina, who said that the man was filmed on Friday morning kicking the puppy, with puppy’s cries ringing out across the whole area.

An urgent report with the Police was made, and Animal Welfare workers almost immediately intervened to rescue the puppy from the abuser.

Bezzina said that the abuser is also expected to be charged in court.

It should be noted that cropped ears, as there are on the puppy, are also illegal, with Bezzina saying that the man should be prosecuted for that as well.

The footage, which may be distressing for some, can be viewed below.

The International Diabetes Federation has blasted the government for its “foolhardy” decision to hold mass public gatherings and events scheduled in the coming weeks. 

In a letter to Chris Delicata, the President of the Maltese Diabetes Association, Professor Andrew Boulton – who is the President of the IDF – expressed “serious concern” at events planned in Malta for the coming weeks. 

“This decision is extremely foolhardy from a public heath perspective and will put lives, particularly the lives of vulnerable groups, including the estimated 40,000 people living with diabetes in Malta, at risk”, Boulton said. 

IDF strongly urged the Maltese government to take action to prevent these events from taking place. 

“As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the lives of billions across the world and will continue to impact health systems, economies and individuals for some time. People living with chronic conditions like diabetes have been among those most affected. It is, therefore, of utmost importance that we make sure the authorities do everything within their power to protect citizens and follow the precautionary guidelines issued by the vast majority of health authorities worldwide, including measures to maintain social distancing”, Boulton wrote. 

“The evidence indicates that up to half of people who have contracted COVID-19 had diabetes and, in a number of countries, over a quarter of all deaths related to COVID-19 have occurred in people with the condition. If someone with diabetes develops a viral infection, it can be harder to treat due to fluctuations in blood glucose levels and, possibly, the presence of diabetes complications”, he added. 

It is critical for governments to recognise that people with diabetes can be more vulnerable to COVID-19 and put the right measures in place to limit the possibility of people with diabetes contracting the virus, Boulton said. 

The letter concludes that the International Diabetes Federation fully supports the efforts of the Maltese Diabetes Association and joins them in calls for the cancellation of all mass events at this time to limit the health risk to the general public and, in particular, to those most vulnerable to the effects of the virus. 

The government announced new restrictions on mass events on Thursday evening. The restrictions include capacity restrictions, with venues being able to accept only the equivalent of one person for every four square metres, social distancing regulations, and also the banning of feast marches.  Events of over 100 people need to pass a risk assessment form to be held.

A 19-year-old woman was grievously injured in a traffic accident on Friday morning.

The accident happened at around 6:15am in Triq Sir Anthony Mamo in Birkirkara.

Preliminary investigations showed that there had been a collision between an Isuzu being driven by a 44-year-old from San Gwann and a Benelli motorcycle being ridden by the 19-year-old, who is from Qormi.

The woman was taken to Mater Dei by ambulance, where she was certified as suffering from grievous injuries.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Doctors have threatened to close 42 community clinics and stop outpatients appointments at Mater Dei Hospital as from Monday if mass events are not banned by the government.

The Medical Association of Malta on Friday published the full list of directives it will be taking as from next Monday if the government continues to refuse to ban mass events amidst a spike in Covid-19 cases.

The government announced new restrictions on mass events on Thursday evening. The restrictions include capacity restrictions, with venues being able to accept only the equivalent of one person for every four square metres, social distancing regulations, and also the banning of feast marches.  Events of over 100 people need to pass a risk assessment form to be held.

The MAM however called them ‘good, but not good enough’ and said that party promoters had "had their way" with politicians and that the directives will not protect the Maltese people.  As a result, they insisted that they will go on with their planned industrial action.

These directives will see the closure of all 42 community clinics and postponement of all Mater Dei outpatient appointments for a period of one week as of Monday.

All elective surgery will be postponed from August 5 to August 12 and she same applies for all elective ultrasounds.

Furthermore, diabetic and medical consultant clinic appointments will be postponed or held by telephone.

All Health Centres will set up a triage desk which will be manned by a doctor at all times, but only urgent cases will be seen at health centres, with non-urgent cases being encouraged to postpone their appointment or call the telemedicine centre.

The same directives apply to the Gozo General Hospital, with outpatients appointments postponed. All patients will be triaged at the Rabat Health Centre. Non urgent appointments will be postponed and patients with symptoms of COVID will be asked to call 111 and get a swab before they are seen. 

Doctors in the accident and emergency department are exempt from the directives. Doctors at the Sir Anthony Mamo oncology centre, Mount Carmel hospital and Karin Grech hospital are all exempt from the directives, as are public health doctors and doctors working in swabbing centres.

The MAM encouraged interested doctors to apply to work some sessions at the swabbing centres to keep up with demand.