[WATCH] Coronavirus: Gloves give false sense of security, wash your hands says Charmaine Gauci

Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci has warned against the misuse of gloves to prevent Covid-19 contraction, stating that they give a false sense of security.

“You think that because you are wearing gloves, you are completely safe, and that is not true,” she said.

A number of supermarkets were distributing gloves to their customers before entering their premises, while a photo of a priest handing out the Holy Eucharist to elderly people in their homes made the rounds on social media. People generally have also resorted to using gloves in a bid to stave off the coronavirus.

Asked about this phenomenon, Gauci said that in the majority of cases, people are better off washing their hands or sanitising them.

She said that gloves are normally used for the care of individuals in medical environments so as to prevent the transmission of viruses or bacteria from patient to doctor.

“If someone is using the same pair gloves constantly, it’s as if you’re not wearing any, because the contagion can still spread,” she said.

The best advice remains for people to wash their hands with soap and if this is unavailable to use alcohol-based wipes and hand sanitisers.

On Monday, Gauci announced nine new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 30.

For the first time, three of the cases were local transmission, after people who came home from abroad infected co-workers.

The three local transmissions are healthcare professionals, who contracted the virus from healthcare workers who tested positive after returning from holiday.