The following are the top stories in Malta's newspapers on Wednesday.

Times of Malta reports that at 158 new cases, the numbers announced on Tuesday were the highest since November 18.  It also reports that a restaurant where a big fight was sparked on New Year's eve has been told to stop operations. A witness had said there was 'zero consideration' for COVID-19 rules.

Malta Today reports that former Rabat mayor Charles Azzopardi is to contest for the seat vacated in parliament by Edward Scicluna. Azzopardi had been banned from the Labour ticket in the 2019 local elections. 

The Malta Independent quotes energy minister Miriam Dalli saying Malta could explore hybrid funding arrangements for a hydrogen-ready pipeline from Sicily to the power station. It follows an EU decision denying funding to Malta for a natural gas pipeline. The newspaper also reports how Labour MPs argued in the parliamentary standards committee that since former prime minister Joseph Muscat is no longer an MP, he should not be sanctioned over his decision to hand Konrad Mizzi a consultancy job at the tourism authority. 

In-Nazzjon says Health Minister Chris Fearne contradicted the prime minister when he said that herd immunity against COVID-19 is expected by the end of summer. The prime minister had said he expected business to return to the norm by May.

L-orizzont leads with the announcement of a new wage subsidy scheme, quoting minister Miriam Dalli saying most help would be given to those most in need. The newspaper also carries comments by a patient who said he thought COVID-19 was an invention, but he is now hooked up to an oxygen machine.   

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