[WATCH] Two new coronavirus cases diagnosed

Two new cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed on Thursday morning taking the total cases to nine, the health authorities said.

The new cases involve a 29-year-old man who developed symptoms on 9 March, a day after returning to Malta from Belgium. He was abroad between 5 and 8 March.

The second is a 26-year-old woman, who developed symptoms while in Amsterdam. She returned to Malta on 10 March.

Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci said the authorities had two teams carrying out contact tracing and swabbing of people who may have come in contact with these people.

These include people at their respective workplaces and passengers on the same flights. The flatmates of the woman – she lives in a shared apartment – are also being tested.

Gauci said an investigation was underway on the sixth case recorded yesterday of a doctor after the authorities received information that he may have visited patients at a private clinic rather than obey the self-quarantine recommendation.

The male doctor and a female relative who travelled with him have been diagnosed with Covid-19. They went on holiday in the north of Italy.

Gauci insisted that all cases recorded so far were imported and no local transmission has been registered.

Patients are being kept at Mater Dei Hospital and all are doing well.

Asked about cabin crew who work on airlines, Gauci said that unless these workers came down from the aircraft they will not have to go in quarantine.

Gauci said the health authorities were on guard and necessary decisions will be taken accordingly.

She insisted that so far, there was no need to close schools and educational institutions and urged vulnerable people to remain indoors as much as possible.

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