Why are the local Health authorities not publishing the age of those dying of Covid-19?

Blog post by Marica Micalllef

Lately ALL local media portals have come to a mutual agreement that neither of them shall publish the age of those who are perishing from Covid-19. Up to March 2022, local media portals were publishing the ages of those who perish but it has been since April that this information is not being given to the public. Let us have a look at some of these articles:

Times of Malta’s articles published in
April read:

“Three deaths, 530 new Covid-19 cases”[1], published on 4^th April 2022.

“Five deaths, 719 new Covid-19 cases”[2], published on 5^th April 2022.

“822 new Covid-19 cases, one death recorded”[3], published on 6^th April 2022.

“563 new Covid-19 cases reported, as three more patients die,”[4] published on 9^th April 2022.

“New Covid-19 cases drop sharply as two patients die,”[5] published on 11^th April 2022.

“431 new Covid-19 cases, two deaths reported,”[6] published on 14^th April 2022.

“New Covid cases drop to 372 as one person with the virus dies overnight”[7], published on 15^th April 2022.

The media portal blames the Health Ministry for this lack of information, by repeating that “Health Ministry officials stopped publishing daily COVID-19 updates on Facebook abruptly last week, one day after Labour’s electoral victory. No explanation was given for the sudden change.”

Lovin Malta has become less proactive when it comes to giving daily Covid-19 reports to the public, thus getting to only the publishing of two articles which are:

“Three patients die while positive for Covid-19 as 438 new cases found in Malta”[8], published on 12^th April 2022.

“Two die whilst Covid-19 positive as active cases in Malta continue to decrease”[9], published on 13^th April 2022.

Malta Today reported that:

“Covid-19, three deaths, 438 new cases registered on Tuesday”[10], published on 12^th April 2022.

“Covid-19: Two deaths, 408 new cases registered on Wednesday”[11], published on 13^th April 2022.

“431 new Covid-19 cases, two deaths recorded”[12], published on 14^th April 2022.

“372 new Covid-19 cases, one patient dies”[13], published on 15^th April 2022.

“Covid-19: One death, 314 new cases registered”[14], published on 16^th April 2022.

“Covid-19: Two die as 199 new cases are registered”[15], published on 18^th
April 2022.

The Malta Independent reportage was:

“Two more Covid-19 patients die as 408 new cases are reported”[16], published on 13^th April 2022.

“Two more Covid-19 patients die as 431 new cases are reported”[17], published on 14^th April 2022.

“One patient with Covid dies as 372 new cases are found”[18], published on 15^th April 2022.

“Covid-19: 314 cases, one more death”[19], published on 16^th April 2022.

“Four Covid-19 patients die over Easter weekend”[20], published on 18^th April 2022.

Newsbook reports that:

“408 każijiet ġodda; imutu 2 persuni”[21], published on 13^th April 2022.

“431 każ ġdid; imutu 2 persuni”[22], published on 14^th April 2022.

“372 każ ġdid; tmut persuna”[23], published on 15^th April 2022.

“314-il każ ġdid; tmut persuna”[24], published on 16^th April 2022.

Talk.mt. published articles were the following:

“Covid: Ifiqu aktar mid-doppju tal-każi ġodda; tmut mara”[25], published on 16^th April 2022.

“Jirkupraw 494 persuna mill-Covid-19”[26], published on 18^th April 2022.

“Ikomplu jonqsu l-każi attivi ta’ Covid-19”[27], published on 20^th April 2022.

If one had to skim through all the above articles, one would notice that the ages of those perishing of Covid-19 are missing. This was not so before April 2022.

If ALL the local media portals stopped reporting the ages of those who were perishing of Covid-19 because the health authorities were refraining from giving such details, can the local health authorities explain why did they stop publishing the ages of those perishing of Covid-19?

[1] https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/three-deaths-530-new-covid-cases.945969

[2] https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/five-deaths-719-new-covid-19-cases.946206

[3] https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/822-new-covid-19-cases-one-death-recorded.946402

[4] https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/563-new-covid-19-cases-reported-as-three-more-patients-die.947197

[5] https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/new-covid-19-cases-drop-sharply-as-two-patients-die.947527

[6] https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/431-new-covid-19-cases-two-deaths-reported.948316

[7] https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/new-covid-cases-drop-to-372-as-one-person-with-the-virus-dies.948535

[8] https://lovinmalta.com/news/three-patients-die-while-positive-for-covid-19-as-438-new-cases-found-in-malta/

[9] https://lovinmalta.com/lifestyle/health/covid-19/two-die-whilst-covid-positive-as-cases-continue-to-decrease/

[10]https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/116246/covid19_three_deaths_438_new_cases_registered_on_tuesday#.YnBEI9pBxPY

[11]https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/116256/covid19_two_deaths_408_new_cases_registered_on_wednesday_#.YnBEYdpBxPY

[12]https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/116273/431_new_covid19_cases_two_deaths_recorded#.YnBEjNpBxPY