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Maltese Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne has announced two new measures to avoid and limit the risk of coronavirus transmission.

One of the new measures is that social gatherings of over five people will not be allowed.

The other measure is aimed at the most vulnerable people. People over the age of 65 and people with existing medical conditions will not be able to leave at any time.

These two new measures will enter into force on Saturday.

Minister Fearne said that the virus pattern is changing from those imported from abroad to the local transmission phase. He also said that Malta is still in the very early stages of the epidemic and that situations will continue to change.

He also said that the Maltese health authorities are following the measures taken in hospitals in other countries.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

Malta, health authorities confirm spread of coronavirus

The coronavirus continued to spread in Malta. The Public Health Authorities today announced 19 new cases of COVID 19, reaching a total of 129. This is the highest number of cases registered since the start of the outbreak on March, 7.

While addressing a press conference, the Supretendent for Public Health Prof. Charmaine Gauci confirmed that eight of the new reported cases were imported from the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria and Poland. Another four new cases are related to other patients who were already confirmed positive and the seven other, five Maltese, an Italian and a Chinese were local transmissions.

All 129 patients are in good health, although an elderly man, 61, is still receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit at Mater Dei Hospital.

The local health authorities are making daily appeals to the public to remain indoors as much as possible to avoid any contact with other people as more new cases are expected to be recorded.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

The Maltese government has announced an overall package of €70 million per month for the next three months and will be reviewed as needed to address the economic crisis caused by COVID 19. Maltese Prime Minister Roberto Abela said the purpose of the financial aid package is that various industries will be in a position to operate in order to start over quickly.

Malta, plans to build a pre-fabricated hospital for coronavirus patients
The Maltese government has issued a public call for the set up of a fully-equipped pre-fabricated hospital with a capacity for over 90 patients and medical staff. According to the Health Ministry the hospital must be up and running within eight weeks. The Supretendent of Public Health Prof. Chairmaine Gauci declared that the Maltese government is preparing for every eventuality and possibility, including having enough resources and beds to cater for future patients found positive for COVID 19.
Wuhan in China, which was the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, built a similar prefabricated hospital with capacity for 1,000 patients in just nine days.
Meanwhile, the Health authorities hava announced three more positive cases of coronavirus. All were imported from abroad.
A 20 year old woman who arrived from the United Kingdom. She stayed in quarantine immediately after experiencing the first symptoms. Only family members were exposed to her.
Another 20 year old woman was found positive for coronavirus on her return from London. She attended a lecture at the University of Malta, and the health authorities are tracing her friends for further medical tests.
An American, 49, who arrived from Austria was found positive but followed the instructions issued by the health authorities to self-quarantine. Only one person who share the same residence was in contact with the patient.
The Supretendent of Public Health confirmed that the elderly man, 61, who is treated at the Intensive Care Unit is responding well to the medical treatment, and he might be also included in international medical trials.
Prof. Chairmaine Gauci said that altough in the last 24 hours, Malta has registered less positive cases than in recent days, there is still an increase. Up to now, 110 cases have been confirmed. “The increase in positive cases for coronavirus depends on how the community follow the recommendations being issued from the health authorities,” added Prof. Gauci.
Meanwhile, the Maltese government announced that people infected with COVID 19, and are ordered to self-isolate will be fined €10,000 every time they will be find not in quarantine during police checks.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

Malta recorded a total of 107 coronavirus cases after the latest medical tests which confirmed 17 new cases. From these cases, 10 are of people who have returned to Malta from abroad. In all cases, patients are in stable condition, including the elderly man admitted to ICU at Mater Dei hospital.
The Supretendent of public health Prof. Chairmaine Gauci said that this is the number of positive cases that the authorities were expecting and at the moment the main objective is to control the virus as much as possible.
From the new cases there are patients who entered Malta from northern Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Other cases are of people who were infected locally.
Prof. Charmaine Gauci declared that notwithstanding the increase in the number of positive cases, Malta is still far away from reaching the peak of the coronavirus when compared to other countries.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

The Archbishop’s Curia of Malta has announced that Pope Francis’ apostolic visit to Malta at the end of May has been postponed.

In a short statement, the Curia said that “considering the current situation in the world, and in agreement with the authorities and the Catholic Church in Malta, the pastoral visit of Pope Francis to Malta and Gozo has been postponed. A new date will be determined later. The bishops of Malta and Gozo would like to take this opportunity to invite Catholics to keep Pope Francis in prayer. ”

Pope Francis was due to visit Malta on May 31, 2020 and preparations were well underway.

(ITALPRESS/MNA).

In the last 24 hours Malta has registered 17 new cases of coronavirus for a total of 90. This was confirmed by Dr Chris Fearne, the Health Minister who announced further restriction measures as from Monday morning. He confirmed an increase of local transmitted cases of COVID 19.

The new measures taken by the Maltese governing are the closing of all shops that are not essential, shut down of all non-essential services and the banning of all public activities and meetings. Those found breaching the new decree will be fined €3,000. Post, medical, banking and transport services will remain operating normally.

According to the Supretendent of Public Health Prof. Chairmaine Gauci 10 of the 17 new cases are related to individuals who recently arrived in Malta from abroad. Last Friday night, the Maltese government stopped all incoming flights. The other seven patients have contracted the virus locally as they did not have any recent history of travelling abroad. She added that the health authorities are expecting more positive cases of coronavirus as contact tracing is leading to more new cases.

Meanwhile, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela declared on Sunday that his government is following closely and in detail the developments in order to announce more measures that would help various industries being effected negatively due to the coronavirus. During a televised interview he added that the aim of his government is to keep businesses alive. “At this stage, if the economy need to shift from a surplus to a deficit to save businesses and jobs, then so be it.”

Employers’ associations and trade unions are facing pressures, and declared that the €1.81 billion aid package is a non-starter.

Malta, more contagious cases, but no total lockdown
In Malta there has been an increase in positive cases of locally transmitted COVID 19. So far the health authorities are only making appeals to the population to stay home and go out just for work or to buy the necessities, while the Maltese government is still insisting that for now there is no need for a total lockdown. As from last night, the Maltese airspace was closed for all flights except those for the transhipment of medicines and goods.
In the last 24 hours nine new cases of coronavirus were recorded for a total of 73. Meanwhile, the patient who developed pneumonia was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit in Mater Dei hospital because his condition is not stable. The superintendent of Public Health Prof. Charmaine Gauci said that the “majority” of patients are in good medical condition but has appealed to the population to remain in self-isolation because the local contagion is high.
From the cases recorded in the last few hours there is a 21-year-old Maltese woman who was not abroad but had a relative who had returned from the UK on March 9th. The patient, who is a university student, showed the first symptoms after ten days. It was confirmed that she attended her last lesson on March 10th. Professor Gauci described the situation as being under control.
A 44-year-old man from Somalia, but residing in Malta, was the second to have been found positive. The man who had been in Brussels developed symptoms on March 17. The man had respected the quarantine rules and therefore the case is under control. Only two people who share the residence with him have been in contact. The two individuals have been placed in quarantine.
A 41-year-old foreigner, married to a Maltese, developed symptoms associated with coronavirus on March 15. According to the health authorities, the case indicates that she contracted the virus via local transmission and that the health authorities are currently carrying out contact tracking procedures at work and in the family.
A 55-year-old man who has not travelled recently was also tested positive for coronavirus. The health authorities are carrying out the process of tracking contacts in his workplace.
A 25-year-old woman who lives in the UK and returned to Malta on March 19 was found positive for coronavirus. She developed the symptoms associated with the coronavirus on the same day she returned to Malta. Health authorities are carrying out the contact tracking procedure to assess the risk for passengers who were on the same flight. The woman who lives alone followed the quarantine rules.
Another case concerns a 24-year-old Italian woman who lives in Australia but has come to Malta from London. Upon landing she followed the quarantine rules. Her relatives have been placed in quarantine.
A 49-year-old woman working in a school was also tested positive. The woman has not travelled recently, and it is likely she has been in contact with someone who was tested positive for coronavirus. Schools had already been closed when she felt to first symptoms of coronavirus on March 19. The last time she went to school was on March 12th.
A 30-year-old unemployed person from India was also confirmed positive for coronavirus. The man lives in a family where another person was tested positive and the other family was already in quarantine.
A 68-year-old Maltese woman who returned to Malta from London on March 16 and was in quarantine was confirmed positive. He showed symptoms on March 18 and has not been in contact with other people.
Meanwhile, the Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela has met trade unions representatives and others representing the employers. The Maltese government was criticized by the employers of not doing enough to save jobs when a financial aid package of €1.81 million was presented early this week.
The Federation of English Teaching Organizations in Malta said that the measures announced by the Government are not sufficient to safeguard jobs and this is already confirmed as a number of English schools already begun to close and lay off their employees. The number of cancellations increased from 4,000 students on 5 March to 20,000 students by 16 March. The financial impact of these cancellations on the industry is expected to be € 8.8 million loss while the economical financial loss is estimated to amount to € 23.7m.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)