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2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 FEBRUARY 2021 NEWS Delivery fee of just €1 per day for orders up to 5 newspapers per address To subscribe 1. Email us your choice of newspapers, recipient's name, address, contact number to production @millermalta.com 2. Forward cheques payable to Miller Distributors Ltd on address: Miller House, Airport Way, Tarxien Road, Luqa LQA1814 Queries on other news- papers and magazines, production@ millermalta.com maltatoday Same-day delivery of your favourite Sunday newspaper Monday-Friday MaltaToday Midweek • €1 BusinessToday • €1.50 Sunday MaltaToday • €1.95 ILLUM • €1.25 Support your favourite newspaper with a subscription https://bit.ly/2X9csmr Cases 17,721 Active 2,681 Recoveries 14,775 Deaths 265 Swabs 609,737 LATEST COVID-19 www.maltatoday.com.mt/covid19 President's bid for national unity MATTHEW AGIUS PRESIDENT George Vella (pic- tured) has unveiled a new nation- al conference on national unity, which follows a pledge he made in his April 2019 inauguration speech. The conference will be held on 27 February at the Verdala Palace, with a panel led by Reno Buge- ja, former PBS head of news and presenter of Reno Bugeja Jistaqsi; writer Aleks Farrugia; University of Malta pro-rector Prof. Carmen Sammut; Chamber of Commerce David Xuereb; Faculty of Social Wellbeing Dean Prof. Andrew Azzopardi; Mario Fava; and Prof. Simone Borg. Vella said he was concerned about the lack of unity in Malta. "The time has come for us to ask about which causes we must unite over... I insist that we must be united on certain issues." The President said that the event must be held "as far away from partisan politics as possible." Vella said the COVID-19 pan- demic had forced upon the Mal- tese a period of reflection that inspired a sense of solidarity for those stricken by the virus, as well as respect for medical front-lin- ers, as well as a realisation that foreign workers "such as those who clean our public benches" were far more important to Malta than previously believed. Vella augured that the confer- ence would attract a broad discus- sion that "listens to what the peo- ple are really feeling, giving space to the citizens and to an analysis by those who are detached from the political dimension, which sometimes stifles or extinguishes a change of thoughts of a much broader nature." In 2019, Vella called for digni- fied exchanges that are based on civic and correct demeanour, and not personal attacks. Vella has al- so gone on record saying that he wishes to see less abuse on social media, the likes of which tend to be less present on printed media and broadcasting. "You can criticise but be con- structive, not destructive. Dis- course must provide an alterna- tive, otherwise we'll just point fingers at each other," Vella said. "This definitely does not contrib- ute to national unity." The debate will also cover who much the Maltese people feel themselves represented by the institutions. Social inequality led to division, he said, adding that a plan was needed to implement social justice in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Vella's address a touched on a number of other issues of con- cern, amongst them the decline in the use of the Maltese language and lack of care for the environ- ment. Vella said the answers were in the hands of the Maltese peo- ple. "If nothing, it should create a conscience about these things and raise awareness. I am prag- matic enough to recognise that things would not change over- night, but it is our obligation to work together," he said, adding that at least the exercise would reveal what needs to be changed. "If we can change, it would be a shame not to." COVID-19 claims two more victims, 134 new infections in past 24 hours TWO people have died and 134 new cases of COV- ID-19 have been registered in Malta over the past 24 hours, according to the lat- est figures from the Health department. The latest victims were males, aged 69 and 85, who died at Mater Dei Hospital. 279 people have died of COVID-19 in Malta since the pandemic began. 195 persons recovered from the disease yesterday. 35,676 people have been vaccinated so far, of which 7594 received their second doses. Malta has registered a to- tal of 18,576 cases of the disease since the pandemic began. 15,896 patients had recovered and 2401 active infections remain. 2772 swab tests were carried out yesterday, out of a total of 630,379.