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4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 APRIL 2021 NEWS JOIN OUR TEAM e Institute for Education would like to inform the general public that vacancies for the following job positions have arisen within the Institute. Administrative Officer (Jobsplus permit number 100/2021) Application link: https://bit.ly/2PcgAAe Manager Research Analyst (Jobsplus permit number 109/2021) Application link: https://bit.ly/3lTHqt0 Manager Systems Administrator (Jobsplus permit number 98/2021) Application link: https://bit.ly/3tWLdZc Course Coordinator (part-time) (Jobsplus permit number 99/2021) Application link: https://bit.ly/3d6H9yN Lecturer (Jobsplus permit number 134/2021) Application link: https://bit.ly/3w0nZTQ Interested applicants are requested to apply online by following the above-mentioned links by not later than Monday 26th April 2021. e selected person should be able to commence employment with the Institute for Education not earlier than 1st September 2021. For more information on the above-mentioned job positions kindly visit the Circulars 2021 section of the Institute for Education's website by following the link: https://bit.ly/3u8w73c Institute for Education Martin Luther King Road Pembroke PBK 1990 KURT SANSONE HISTORIC changes to ensure greater gender parity in parlia- ment will be enacted before the next general election with dis- cussions starting tomorrow at committee stage. MPs will scrutinise the var- ious changes to the Constitu- tion and electoral law, clause by clause in what is the last stage before the final vote in parliament. Described as a gender correc- tive mechanism, the changes will ensure the under-repre- sented gender in parliament will be boosted by an additional number of seats. The Bill piloted by Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lew- is cleared the Second Reading in parliament last January with cross-party support. If the under-represented sex comprises less than 40% of all seats after the election out- come is known, the mechanism will kick in to elect a maximum of 12 additional MPs – six on either side of the House. The mechanism as proposed will only come into effect if two parties are elected to parlia- ment and will remain in force for 20 years. The Nationalist Party has proposed four key amend- ments, including a proposal to entrench the mechanism in the Constitution. The PN is also suggesting clearer wording in the law on the method to rank unelected women MPs to determine who fills the additional seats and a proposal to have the mecha- nism kick in even if three par- ties are elected to parliament. It is unclear whether the gov- ernment will accept all or part of the amendments put for- ward by the Opposition. The mechanism is expected to boost the number of women MPs after the next election, re- versing a dismal situation that has persisted for decades. Gender parity talks for MPs start tomorrow Talks on nitty gritty on mechanism to boost women MPs kick off tomorrow COVID vaccine: Over-50s can register by SMS MATTHEW AGIUS PEOPLE over 50 years of age can, as of yesterday, register to receive the COVID-19 vaccina- tion, as the vaccination rollout proceeds far ahead of schedule, health minister Chris Fearne said. Fearne said that over-50s can register online or through SMS. He said that Malta will be reaching herd immunity by the end of June, and not Septem- ber, as had previously been planned, because of the accelerated vac- cination pro- gramme em- ployed. 240,000 dos- es of vac- cine have been given out to date. The authorities' original plan was to have 80% of over- 80s vaccinated by the end of March. But with the fast rollout, 95% of the age group had re- ceived the jab by the target date. "We had said that we wanted to treat all vulnerable people and over 70s by the end of April," Fearne said. "Now, by the end of the month, we will also have vaccinated all over 60s. And by the third week of May, over 50s will also have received the first dose of the vaccination." Fearne said that all vulnerable people over 60 have been invit- ed to be vaccinated. But since some residence addresses and statuses change, he invited any people over 60 who have not yet been contacted or received an appointment for vaccination, to contact helpline 145. "The hotline 145 is answering over 95% of calls now and that will now be complement with the new registration system we are introducing today," he said. People over 50 in Malta can send an SMS on 99180045 to register for vaccination. Over 50s in Gozo can send an SMS to 99180044. COVID cases on Saturday 37 new cases of COVID-19 were registered in the 24 hours up to noon yesterday. 237,806 doses of the COV- ID-19 vaccine have been ad- m i n i s t e r e d until Thurs- day. Of these, 67,491 were second doses. Total recoveries stand at 28,610, while total cases registered stand at 29,548. There are 536 active COV- ID-19 cases. During the same 24 hours, a 96-year-old female died at Ma- ter Dei Hospital while COV- ID-19 positive. The total number of deaths is 402. 2,243 swab tests were carried out in the last 24 hours, bring- ing the total number of swabs to 830,740.