[WATCH] Malta registers two new Covid-19 cases on Sunday after record number of swabs

Two new cases of Covid-19 were registered in Malta on Sunday, a record low since the infection began spreading in the country. 

This brings the total number of cases to 151.

Both the new cases were local transmission cases.

The cases involve a 53-year-old woman who tested positive after a family member returned from the United Kingdom on 20 March and started showing symptoms of infection on 23 March. It is unclear whether the woman contracted the virus from her relative.

Gauci described this case as exemplary in how precautions were taken in that the family member, upon returning from the UK, quarantined himself in an isolated residence outside of his usual household to minimise contact with vulnerable relatives.

The other positive case was of a man who works in the private sector and who might have contracted the virus from a colleague who flew in from abroad, but this has not been established.

Though the number of new cases is consistently low, Gauci appealed to anyone who is capable of staying at home to do so. 

12:40 Gauci said that the health authorities are conducting pilot testing, conducting random swabs on people who voluntarily submit themselves to tests simply to check whether the infection is spreading outside the contact tracing clusters. David Hudson

12:38 Gauci once again appealed for anyone who can stay at home to do so. David Hudson

12:37 Both cases today are local transmission cases. David Hudson

12:37 Another case is of a Maltese man who did not go abroad. The man told authorities that he reported to work and that a colleague had flown from abroad and might have contracted the virus from that employee. David Hudson

12:36 Gauci says this is a good example because the person who flew from the UK sought residence outside his home to stop the spread of infection. David Hudson

12:35 This person was in quarantine so he did not have any contact with other persons outside the family. David Hudson

12:35 A Maltese woman of 53 years is a new positive case on Sunday. She didn't go abroad but a family member came from the UK on 20 March and developed symptoms on the 23rd. David Hudson

12:34 Four people are currently being held at the ITU due to Covid-19. David Hudson

12:34 The 72-year-old is still in ITU and treated with a ventilator. Two other people at the Infectious Diseases Ward are also now being monitored at the ITU. David Hudson

12:33 This brings the total to 151 cases. David Hudson

12:33 Only two positive cases were found, she says. David Hudson

12:33 Charmaine Gauci says that a record number of swabs were conducted from Saturday to Sunday, a total of 585 swabs. David Hudson

She said that the health authorities are carrying out pilot testing, conducting random swabs on people who voluntarily submit themselves to tests simply to check whether the infection is spreading outside the contact tracing clusters.

The Superintendent of Public Health, Charmaine Gauci, delivered a press conference at the Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Directorate in G’Mangia at 12:30 pm.