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MaltaToday 11 August 2021 MIDWEEK

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2 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 11 AUGUST 2021 2 NEWS 51 new COVID-19 cases were registered on Tuesday, figures published by the health ministry show. The total number of deaths is 428 after no new deaths were registered. Active cases stand at 859 after 70 recoveries were registered. 42 coronavirus patients are currently being treated at Mater Dei Hospital, of which three are in the ITU. The average age of cases is 42-years-old. 3,093 swab tests were carried out in the last 24 hours, bring- ing the total number of swabs to 1,122,904. Until Monday, 777,181 vaccine doses were administered, of which 405,073 were first doses. 398,128 people are fully vacci- nated. COVID-19 Hospitalisations increase by four, 51 new cases registered THE Health Authorities have fixed a technical issue with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine certificate that was creating problems with verification in foreign airports. Towards the end of July, travellers who took the Johnson & Johnson jab reported that they were forced to contact the health authorities to have their digital COVID certificate re-issued due to problems scanning the QR code at foreign airports. "This update will automatically be implemented once the vaccine certificate is reprinted from the website certifikatvaccin.gov.mt. The health authorities are urging people who intend to use the vaccine certificate abroad to reprint their certificate before travelling," the ministry said on Tues- day. For further assistance, people are advised to call 145. Technical issues with Johnson & Johnson vaccine certificate solved THE Nationalist Party has called on the government to publish an updated COVID-19 strategy for the education sector, before schools reopen next month. The party said educators, stu- dents and parents have a right to know as soon as possible what the government's plans are. It said that the tourism and en- tertainment industry must also be given guidance as it recalled government's "mishandling" of English language schools, which saw them close only weeks after reopening. The PN said the government had promised that when the population was 85% vaccinat- ed, it would reintroduce cer- tain activities that have yet to happen despite the target being reached. "The government should al- so be clear about a vaccination programme for the booster shot, particularly for the elder- ly and front-liners who were among the first to receive the vaccine earlier this year," the party said. Schools were shut for a brief period this year when cases surged around March but re- opened with mitigation meas- ures after the Easter holidays. PN calls for updated COVID strategy for schools KURT SANSONE THE building of a new outpa- tient block at Mater Dei Hos- pital can start after the final go- ahead was given by the Planning Authority. The new block will rise to five storeys on the area next to the hospital's main entrance, where the disused helipad stands. The project is expected to cost €170 million. It will include an underground multi-storey car park to ca- ter for almost 700 cars and an underground bus terminus. The site has a total area of 16,550sq.m. Plans for the block were ap- proved last March but the PA had asked that cart ruts on the site be incorporated into the project. Health Minister Chris Fearne tweeted that the final go-ahead given today was "good news". The block will have a cafeteria and two pharmacies at ground floor level, outpatients' rooms for various departments, meet- ing rooms, several consultants' rooms and a number of staff rooms. Operations from the existing outpatient block within the hos- pital will be transferred to the new bigger building, while the vacated space will allow for the creation of more patient beds. The plans include a staff-only bridge connecting the block to the main hospital building. New outpatient block at Mater Dei Hospital gets green light

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