Malta and Gozo are getting more deserted day after day, with few people roaming in the streets. People are staying more indoors, thousands of workers are working from home while tourists spots are almost empty with all museums, bars,  restaurants and hotels are closed for an indefinite period.

The Public Health Superintendent Prof. Charmaine Gauci has confirmed 10 new cases of people found positive for the coronavirus. Most of the 48 cases so far are associated with travel from various European countries. There is also an increase in local transmission case,  other positive cases that are imported from abroad and since yesterday new local transmission cases have been confirmed.

Meanwhile, there is alarm at Mater Dei hospital. After yesterday’s case, the health authorities confirmed two other positive cases of patients who are linked to yesterday’s case which involves an English woman who was admitted to hospital  for a fracture. These new cases are of a maltese man, 57, who was in another ward with another patient. All other patients and health carers are in quarantine despite the negative medical result.

The first elderly people were also confirmed positive for the coronavirus; 70 and 73 years respectively.

An Italian couple, 43, who live in Malta but were not abroad. The woman started showing the first symptoms on March 12 and the man the next day.

There are also two women, 26 and 27 years old who were on vacation in Poland and Germany, and returned to Malta from Berlin on 11 March. They started showing symptoms three days before their arrival and health authorities are underway to identify other passengers who were on the Berlin-Malta flight.

Another woman who was confirmed positive for coronavirus had arrived from London. Together with his family, he is under quarantine.

Another Maltese, 37, showed symptoms on March 9 after being in contact with a foreigner who had traveled to the UK. Health authorities are continuing to search for his colleagues who made contact with him.

The other newly registered case is of a 26 year old woman. She is part of a group of four patients who where confirmed positive a few days ago.

While Malta is fighting the spread of COVID 19, heavy pressure is not only being put on the health services, but also on the business community as this crises is already causing an extremely negative impact on Malta’s economy.

The Maltese government has decided to extend the closing days for all schools, educational institutions and child care centers for another month until 17 April. The decision was taken following consultations with the health authorities.

The government has also announced the closure of the Maltese airspace as from 20 March. Meanwhile, the airport authorities are appealing to passengers who were planning on travelling in the coming days to contact their respective airlines for more information about their flights.  As from 21 March, Malta International Airport will remain operational to facilitate the arrival and departure of cargo, humanitarian, and ferry flights until further notice.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo Malta, more pressure on the health system due to the coronavirus proviene da Italpress.

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The government of Malta said that at this time of crisis as a result of the effect of the coronavirus on the maltese economy, the priority is to ensure the work of the Maltese people. “All dismissed foreigners should be deported,” Economy Minister Silvio Schembri said in parliament.

He insisted that the main objective of the Maltese government is the employment of the Maltese and Gozitans. “The moment that foreign workers lose their jobs, they will have to return to their country”.

There are already reports of foreigners who have been officially informed that their work have been terminated, and were asked to inform the government agencies. If they do not and ignore all instructions, their work and residence permit in Malta will be revoked immediately.

During the parliamentary debate which was requested by the Nationalist opposition, Minister Schembri clarified that he referred to foreigners who come from third countries; those not from within the European Union. These workers are employed in various sectors such with security companies and in the tourism sector.

The opposition has raised concerns about the possibility of social disorder by hundreds of foreigners who may lose their jobs in Malta.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna has said that most of the commercial community will face economic repercussions. The Maltese government has already decided that from this night, all bars, restaurants and social centers must be closed.

But opposition leader Adrian Delia warned that the situation justified drastic measures from the moment the coronavirus started to spread. He also warned that the lack of immediate intervention by the Labor government would lead to a huge crisis particularly in the labor sector.

So far the Maltese government has not published concrete measures for the business community to deal with the crisis caused by COVID 19. But the association representing medium-sized enterprises has asked its rappresentatives not to lay off employees before the government announces the measures to support the economy.

The Maltese Italian Chamber of Commerce, the only Chamber of Commerce in Malta recognised by the Italian government, representative of an important Maltese and Italian business community, is shocked and completely dissociates itself from the claims published in the national media and attributed to the Minister of Economy of Malta the Hon.Silvio Schembri.

“In this moment we should be thinking about protecting everyone’s health, ruther than dividing us. As everyone knows and repeats, the coronavirus does not distinguish between nationalities. We are sure that the minister’s words are the result of a misunderstanding”, The Maltese Italian Chamber of Commerce said.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo Schembri “All dismissed foreign workers should leave Malta” proviene da Italpress.

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Malta has registered nine new cases of COVID 19, three of them being the first three cases of coronavirus that were transmitted locally. This was confirmed by the Superintendent for Public Health, Dr Charmaine Gauci, who said Malta has 30 cases of coronavirus, two of whom have been recovered. Gauci said that patients are in stable health.

One of the new cases is a 36-year-old healthcare professional. He developed the first symptoms on March 14 and was confirmed positive after medical tests. Two other people, who are also health workers, were confirmed positive when the health authorities did a contact tracking exercise. According to the Maltese health authorities, the contact with patients was minimal.

Another case concerns another health worker, 23. She developed the symptoms of the virus on 13 March. She was abroad, and according to the health authorities, she was in contact with the 36-year-old health worker or with her roommate who recently was in Italy.

Meanwhile, among the other new cases registered in the last few hours, there is a Maltese, 34, who was on vacation in Barcelona with a 49-year-old Italian woman. She was confirmed positive after her husband returned from Rome with the symptoms of the coronavirus.

A Maltese woman, 56 was confirmed positive after she returned from the UK and a 39-year-old Englishman living in Malta was found suffering from the COVID 19 symptoms.

Two other cases are of a 15-year old Spanish boy, who was with a group of four Spanish students and a young man, 19 who in recent days was in Dublin in Ireland. Before he underwent the medical test, he went to work.

Maltese Tourism Minister, Julia Farrugia Portelli has beenordered by the Maltese health authorities to self-quarantinefor a week, although she was tested negative for the coronavirus. This was confirmed by the Minister on Facebook.

Last week she was in contact with a person who in the last days was confirmed positive for COVID 19. Although last night she was officially informed that her results came negative, the Minister was asked to remain in self-quarantine for six more days.

The Minister said that she will participate virtually to all meetings concerning the tourism industry whixh is being hit very hard by the latest developments concerning the coronavirus. At the moment, the Maltese government is ddiscussing a financial aid package to the tourism industry and to secure all jobs.

(ITALPRESS/MNA).

L’articolo Malta, Tourism minister put under self-quarantine proviene da Italpress.

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Last night there were three other positive cases of people with coronavirus who arrived Malta from abroad for a total of 21 cases. Meanwhile, the father of the Italian girl, who was the second coronavirus positive patient in Malta, was confirmed that he had recovered from the disease.

According to the Maltese health authorities, the first confirmed case tonight was of a 23-year-old migrant worker who had been in Dublin in Ireland between 7 and 10 March. The first symptoms of COVID 19 began on 11 March. When he returned to Malta, he was in contact with his family, who are in quarantine.

The other case is of a 20-year-old student who was also in Dublin in March and returned on the same flight. Maltese health authorities are identifying other people, mainly students, who possibly made contact with the patient because he went to the University after he arrived in Malta

The third confirmed case is of a young man, 22 from Portugal, who was in Madrid in Spain. He returned to Malta for business on March 10 together with his girlfriend and three days after started feeling the first symptoms. He immediately went into quarantine. His partner had minor symptoms, but was confirmed negative.

Meanwhile, three people were found violating the mandatory quarantine to control the spread of Covid 19. Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci said that the Maltese government is carrying out necessary checks on people. So far, 722 medical tests have been done on people who have returned to Malta from abroad and have shown symptoms of coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne has announced the government’s preparations for local hospitals. More than 600 beds are already available for patients who may be positive for coronavirus.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo More cases of coronavirus imported into Malta proviene da Italpress.

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Malta has registered five new cases of coronavirus which bring to a total of 18 cases, all imported from foreign countries.
Meanwhile, the Maltese government ruled out a complete lockdown since all confirmed positive cases of COVID 19 were imported from abroad. This morning the Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela declared that all business operations affected directly by the COVID 19 will have all tax and social security payments due for March and April postponed.
This morning the Maltese Health authorities confirmed that the new cases; three foreigners and two Maltese, involve people who entered Malta after trips to Russia, Ireland and Spain.
A russian man arrived in Malta on March 4, but the symptoms of coronavirus came out a week later. The authorities are identifying his close family members and work collegues to be put in quarantine.
A Maltese man was on vacation in Dublin, Ireland and started feeling the first symptoms the day before he was back in Malta on March 10.
Another Maltese man was tested positive after he was in self-quarantine since he has returned to Malta from Spain.
The other two cases involve a foreign couple who were in Spain for four days. They started feeling the coronavirus symptoms one day after there arrival, on March 11.
Meanwhile, last night a 19-year-old Maltese teenage girl was confirmed positive for Covid 19. This is the thirteenth case of coronavirus imported into Malta. The girl was in Brussels between 4 and 8 March. She felt the first symptoms on Wednesday 11 March. Her condition is good.
The Maltese health authorities have also announced that the mother who was tested positive for coronavirus last Saturday has recovered well. Health authorities confirmed that the woman had tested negative for two medical tests conducted 24 hours apart. Therefore, in accordance with established guidelines, this woman is considered cured. The woman was released from Mater Dei hospital and is kept in quarantine in her home for a few days as a precaution.
The Medical Association of Malta together with other trade unions, are calling the Maltese Government to enforce a pre-emptive lockdown for a minimum of three weeks to be enforced with immediate effect. This means all local residents will be in mandatory quarantine and only employees providing emergency services such as Mater Dei Hospital and health centres, power stations, water services and other essential infrastructures would be allowed. People should leave their homes only to buy essential items. All shops and places of entertainment except for pharmacies, supermarkets and groceries and food retail outlets (excluding restaurants and pubs) are to be closed during this period. All schools and universities should remain closed during this period. The airport and ports would be closed to visitors and only allow repatriation of Malta residents stranded abroad. Any repatriations of local residents need to be followed by a strict, mandatory quarantine period of two weeks. No residents in Malta are to be allowed to travel outside the country without permission of the health authority. Transport of goods and cargo will continue unaffected.
Meanwhile the cruise liner Marco Polo was denied entrance to Valletta by the port authorities. The Cypriot government confirmed that on board there is a passenger who is complaining of symptoms similar to those of the coronavirus. Most of the passengers on the cruise liner are Italians.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo Coronavirus, more cases registered in Malta proviene da Italpress.

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The cases of people in Malta who tested positive for coronavirus rose to 12 with 3 new cases confirmed this morning.

The first case is of a 45-year-old Maltese who on 11 March began to feel symptoms of coughing and breathing problems. He returned to Malta from Munichfive days earlier. The medical condition is good and the man is being kept in the Infectious Diseases Unit at Mater Dei hospital. The man’s family consists of 3 persons and so far they do not seem to have developed symptoms of COVID 19, but they are kept in quarantine.

The second positive case for coronavirus is that ofan Italiancitizen,40 years old, who lives and works in Malta. He traveled to Paris on February 29 and returned to Malta on March 6. After four days he started feeling the first symptoms of the virus.

The third case is of a Maltese woman, a health worker.Shetraveled from Malta to Brussels on March 5 and returned to work five days later. She started feeling symptoms the next day when he was already in contact with other people including hercolleges.

The Maltese health authorities have said that they are identifying the people who have come into contact with the infected people so that they will be putin quarantine.

Meanwhile the Superintendent of Public Health in Malta declared that the authorities are expecting more cases of coronavirus and eventually they are also expecting local transmission of the virus. Dr Charmaine Gauci also warned that police with the help of health officials will start checking those who are supposed to be under quarantine.

Meanwhile, doctors are putting more pressure on the Maltese government to declare a complete shutdown throughout the country to avoid local transmission of the coronavirus.

A few hours after the Maltese government has decided to close all schools and all access to the day care centres for the elderly, and no mass will be celebrated in the local churches, the Maltese people have woken up more worried because of the coronavirus that is seriously affecting several European countries.

Away from daily activity, the capital of Malta, Valletta today woke up with a rather surreal scene as the main streets were almost deserted. There were few people almost inevitably seemed to go to work and the main squares were completely silent. 

Tonight a considerable number of restaurant and shop owners in Valletta have decided not to open even if the business is not good at this time. This was decided to prevent the number of people in one place at the same time, and therefore protect the health of the workers and consumers.

This situation has evolved even though the Maltese government has decided not to close off the country. 

In the meantime, people are urged not to use the ferry service between Malta and Gozo if it is not so urgent, as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus.

L’articolo Coronavirus, Valletta completely deserted proviene da Italpress.

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Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela said that in view of the fact that the transmission of coronoviris has increased in four countries in the past few hours: Switzerland, Germany, France and Spain, the Maltese government has decided to suspend air and sea transport from these four countries. Only transit of goods will be allowed.

Yesterday, the Maltese government applied the same precautionary measure for Italy.

The Maltese Prime Minister said that all those who have arrived or in the comingdays will arrive from these countries are obliged to make a mandatory 14-day quarantine. He also said that those passengers who decide not to comply with this measure will be fined 1,000 euros.

In the meantime, various events have been canceled in Malta, including open air religious events and cultural activities.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

 

 

L’articolo Malta suspends travelling from 4 other European countries proviene da Italpress.

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Flights between Italy and Malta have been cancelled immediately after all Italy was declared in quarantine due to the spread of the coronavirus, but the catamaran service between Valletta and Pozzollo will be operating only for the transport of goods.
The Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela announced this drastic measure during a press conference last night, after the fourth positive case of coronavirus in Malta was confirmed and in a reaction to the new decree signed by the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte which put all Italy in quarantine.
The decision will remain into effect. Meanwhile, today there is a cabinet meeting to continue discussing the latest developments and the effect of these decisions as Maltese citizens are stuck in Italy and need to return to Malta. “We will continue to take the necessary measures in order to safeguard the health of our people,” said Robert Abela.
Robert Abela expressed his regret for the situation in Italy with the words of solidarity “strength and courage”.
In the meantime, a cruise ship that left Sicily and was due to stop in Malta this morning will not be able to dock. The cruise ship carries 2,600 people. The Maltese Prime Minister confirmed that instructions have already been given to the cruise ship.
Meanwhile, after three people from the same family were confirmed positive for coronavirus on Saturday, the Maltese government confirmed a new case late Monday evening. This case concerns a man of foreign nationality, residing in Malta, who in recent days had been on vacation in the north of Italy and had returned to Malta from Treviso.
Health authorities confirmed this morning that this patient, 49, is in good health. “The man was in self- quarantine two days after his arrival from Italy, and as a precautionary measure, the Maltese health authorities imposed mandatory quarantine on all people with whom the man was in contact on his arrival,” said Prof. Charmaine Gauci, Head of the Public Health Department.
During the press conference, Gauci said that another possible coronavirus case is currently in quarantine. The patient returned Malta from Slovakia.
So far 634 medical tests have been performed on people who had coronavirus symptoms or were being treated for other respiratory conditions.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo Malta cancelled all flights to Italy, fourth case of coronavirus proviene da Italpress.

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Flights from the northern region of Italy to Malta will not stop, until the World Health Organisation will issue an advisory to all countries with such recommendation. The Maltese Government took this decision despite the decree passed by the Italian government to put the whole region of Lombardy and 14 provinces under lockdown until 3 April.

The Medical Association of Malta (MAM) has insisted with the Maltese government for the second consecutive day to cancel all flights from Northern Italy and to order mandatory quarantine for flights from other Italian cities. MAM has also warned the government that it is ready to take all measures seem necessary to protect all medical staff and the general public.

The Union of Cabin Crew declared that it is of high risk to its members and their families to continue operating flights to high risk countries like northern Italy.

All trade unions in Malta, except the association representing hotels and restaurant owners have already declared the need to stop all flights coming to Malta from Northern Italy.

But the Prime Minister of Malta Robert Abela urged the Maltese population to remain calm saying that the coronavirus, Covid-19, was not a plague and that it will not affect everyone. Referring to statistics from other countries, Abela said that these show that the majority of individuals had recovered without being hospitalised.

Up to now, around 444 medical tests were carried out on people who either had symptoms of fever within 14 days of their arrival from an affected country or have been tested for respiratory problems at Mater Dei hospital. Only three Italians were tested positive; a daughter and her parents who were on a holiday in Trentino, and returned to Malta from Rome. It was confirmed that the three patients are recovering and in a good health condition.

The Health Authorities in Malta added that an excercise to trace and contact those who were on the same flight is going on to make sure that there are no other positive cases of coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne confirmed that public health doctors would be send to private homes if a positive case for coronavirus is suspected.
(ITALPRESS/MNA).

L’articolo Coronavirus, flights from Malta to Northern Italy will not be cancelled proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews