While the Maltese health authorities have announced that in less than two weeks Malta has recorded a total of 64 positive cases for coronavirus, the local situation seems to be more in crisis with eleven new cases, one of them was positive through a close local contact.

The Superintendent for Public Health Dr. Charmaine Gaudi added that the first case from Gozo was confirmed while an elderly man has had complications and is being treated at Mater Dei hospital. The 69-year-old man from Gozo had his first symptoms on March 16. He had not been abroad and was not in contact with anyone else who had travelled in recent days. But on March 10, he has met local people and the probability is that he contracted the virus there. Meanwhile, a 61-year-old Maltese who was admitted to Mater Dei hospital on 13 March was confirmed that he is suffering from lung complications. His 45-year-old partner has registered symptoms of coronavirus but not confirmed positive yet.

Another case concerns a 63-year-old man who had recently been to Italy. On March 14, she started with the first symptoms and was in quarantine from March 11. The third case is a 45-year-old man who returned from Istanbul on 17 March. He was with another person who also had coronavirus symptoms. The health authorities are awaiting medical results.

Meanwhile, there are two more cases involving health workers, 49 and 36 respectively. The 36-year-old probably had contacts with another health care worker who was already positive.