[WATCH] Only three new cases of Covid-19 but health authorities warn against complacency

Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci says the fact that only three new cases were recorded does not mean Malta has turned the corner • Social distancing must be maintained and rules observed

Public health superintendent Charmaine Gauci
Public health superintendent Charmaine Gauci

Malta recorded three new cases of coronavirus overnight, bringing the total to 110 since the start of the outbreak a fortnight ago.

The three new cases were patients who contracted the virus abroad.

However, in her daily update, Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci warned against complacency. "The fact that we only had three cases means nothing. Something similar happened last week. We are still on the upward curve and people should continue to respect social distancing and obey rules issued by the health authorities," she said.

Gauci said all patients were doing well and the man who was recovering at Mater Dei Hospital's Intensive Therapy Unit was stable. She said the new €10,000 fine for quarantine breach applied to those people who test positive for Covid-19 and are asked to quarantine at home.

On Monday, Gauci reported that 17 new Covid-19 cases were registered. This was the second day in a row that 17 cases were recorded.

Asked about government's call to erect a field hospital, Gauci said an assessment was still underway where best to place this hospital but it should ideally be close to Mater Dei Hospital. She said the health authorities were scaling up their preparedness in terms of beds and resources in line with the number of cases they were projecting.

Asked whether it would have been better to use St Luke's Hospital instead, Gauci said in most instances it would be more financially viable to build a new makeshift hospital than refurbish a building that has been in disuse for some time.