Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1449240
2 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 9 FEBRUARY 2022 2 NEWS 186 new COVID-19 cases were registered on Tuesday, figures published by the Health Min- istry show. One death occurred in the last 24-hours, an 85-year-old woman, bringing the total number of deaths to 571. Active cases stand at 2,230 after 286 recoveries were registered. There are currently 89 coronavirus patients being cared for at Mater Dei Hos- pital, of which four are in the ITU. Until yesterday, 1,223,793 vaccine doses were adminis- tered, of which 335,128 were booster doses. COVID-19 Elderly woman dies, 186 new cases registered MATTHEW VELLA THE former Malta international goalkeeper Reg- gie Cini has recovered from 28 days inside inten- sive care in a Sicilian hospital, after suffering from "respiratory problems". Cini, 51, was said to have survived just a "5%" chance of living after the former Valletta football- er, who lives in Ferla, Sicily, was diagnosed with respiratory problems according to a post by his daughter Jade Cini. His daughter posted a photo of the former foot- baller in hospital, with a message he posted on Facebook: "Only 5% left to lose the game but I al- ways play it al. Thank you all for wishing me a fast recovery... now the rehab starts. Privacy will be ap- preciated. Love you all." Daughter Jade had previously said her father was suffering from "respiratory problems". No ref- erence was made to COVID-19, the virus whose vaccination her father claimed he would refuse, according to his Facebook posts. Jade Cini said on 22 January that she had flown to the Ferla hospital where her father, then said to be in critical condition, was hospitalised, but she was not allowed to see him. Cini was a vocal anti-vaxxer on Facebook, post- ing various messages several times throughout 2021 that he would never accept vaccination against COVID-19. On 28 May 2021 he said "nei- ther two nor three... you can donate them to the needy", commenting on a news story quoting Pub- lic Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci on Maltese vaccine stocks. In a 15 May 2021 post, he posted a photo of a 'NO' with a syringe placed under a 'stop sign', with Cini saying "It's a no no"; this followed other posts about 'lies about vaccines on social media'; a photo meme of Chris Fearne hurling syringes as if they were darts, with Cini saying "you have no chance of hitting me"; and a 9 May 2021 photo of him in- side a church with him saying: "My immune sys- tem, my God, Cathedral St Agatha Church". In a previous post on 2 May 2021, he also said: "Those who took or plan to take the vaccine are within their rights; those who do not believe in it, since it is not obligatory, do not take it... I will not take it. I am ready to leave Malta forever as long as I don't take the injection, and use your passports, for six months, because that's how long the vaccine lasts according to the 'expert' Charmaine Gauci." As a footballer, Cini enjoyed numerous victories with Valletta as they barnstormed through the 1990s with one league victory after the other. In all he won six Maltese premiership championships from 1990 to 2001, and six cup tournaments – three of them doubles. In total he had 187 appearances for Valletta from 1988 to 2001, joining Sliema Wanderers and Marsax- lokk for one season in 2001, and 2002. He played 26 games for the Maltese national football team. Former Malta goalie survives 'respiratory problems' after 28 days in ITU Reggie Cini says he had "5% left to lose the game" after hospitalisation in Sicily – previously claimed he would not get vaccinated against COVID-19 Facebook photo NICOLE MEILAK PBS, the Broadcasting Authori- ty, Minister Carmelo Abela and the State Advocate has six days to reply to a constitutional case opened by the Nationalist Party and media imbalance across the state broadcaster. The courts agreed on Tues- day that the case is a matter of urgency, forcing all parties to submit their reply in a matter of days. The first hearing will take place on 17 February. In its case, the Nationalist Party is asking for stronger impartiali- ty in state broadcasting, arguing that the PN suffered months of political imbalance in PBS news coverage. The court application, submit- ted three days ago, was signed by PN secretary-general Michael Piccinino as well as lawyers Paul Borg Olivier and Francis Zammit Dimech, both of whom previously served as PN general secretaries. David Agius, the party's Depu- ty Leader for Parliamentary Af- fairs, had claimed that the state broadcaster became "completely infiltrated" by Labour propagan- da and no longer offered bal- anced views on issues of national importance. In a statement on Tuesday, the PN said it will put for balance and impartiality in all broadcast- ing, but most especially in the national broadcasting services. "The Nationalist Party spent whole months trying to make sure the Broadcasting Authority and PBS take needed action on this imbalance. Nonetheless, the party had no alternative than to take legal action to protect the rights of the Opposition and the Maltese public, the latter of whom deserves balanced broad- casting and communications. Broadcasting watchdogs have six days to submit reply in PN media imbalance case