[WATCH] COVID-19: cases up to 213 with 11 new cases of local transmission

Yesterday 659 swab tests were carried out from which there were 11 new confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Now the total amount of positive cases has risen to 213.

To date 9,702 swab tests have been carried out. These 11 new cases are all cases of local transmission and these people are in a good clinical condition.

At the moment there are three patients in ITU and the condition of the person who was intubated is the same, 10 patients in IDU, 2 patients in the psychiatric unit, four patients in Boffa Hospital and 16 patients at St Thomas Hospital.

The 11 cases:

1. The first case is a 74-year-old Maltese woman who went to MDH for a matter which was unrelated to COVID, she was found to have a cough and tested. Her result was positive and she was transferred to IDU. Contact tracing is being carried out.

2. A 50-year-old Maltese man. He developed a cough on the 25th March. Contact tracing of his family is being carried out and there are 2 members of his family who are symptomatic and are being tested.

3. A 46-year-old Maltese man who developed symptoms of cough, fever and muscle pain on the 2nd April. Contact tracing of his family is being carried out.

4. A 2-year-old girl who developed fever on the 3rd April. She has no history of travel. She is being cared for and contact tracing of her family is being carried out.

5. A 26-year-old man who is a foreigner and who lives in the open centre at Hal Far. He has no direct relation to the case of yesterday but he lives in the same area. The patient has been isolated and the 5 people who live in the same area have been placed in quarantine. He developed symptoms of a sore throat and cough on the 30th March.

6. A 28-year-old foreign woman who lives in Malta but was not working. She was symptomatic on the 1st April with fever and a runny nose and contact tracing of her contacts is being carried out.

7. A 24-year-old foreign man who is a Maltese resident. He developed symptoms including a cough and runny nose on the 24th March. He lives with 6 other people and contact tracing of these people and at his place of work is being carried out. The people living with him are in quarantine.

8. A 31-year-old male healthcare worker. On the 3rd April he developed symptoms of fever. The person who lives with him is in quarantine and we are carrying out contact tracing of staff and patients who could have been exposed to the virus.

9. A 35-year-old man who is a foreigner and resides in Malta. He developed symptoms of fever, pain and symptoms of a cold on the 1st April. He lives with 3 other foreigners and they are in quarantine. We are also carrying out a risk assessment at his place of work.

10. A 66-year-old Maltese man who was admitted to MDH for an unrelated matter and he needs an operation. He was tested as part of the routine

screening of people admitted to hospital and was found to be positive. Contact tracing of staff and patients is being carried out.

11. A 40-year-old Maltese woman who developed symptoms of fatigue and headache on the 28th March. Contact tracing of her family is being carried out and 2 other family members have been tested and are negative. She was not working.

The number of people that have recovered are only two so far because health authorities are assessing the best way to test for recovery. “There are various protocols which can be followed based on evidence; either you test immediately and there must be two consecutive negative tests within 24 hours, or else you allow some time to pass and re-test. So at the moment we are waiting for the time to pass to re-test these patients. Once we review these patients we will give you the information whether they have eliminated the virus,” Prof. Gauci said.

Prof. Gauci said cases are increasing slowly and the superintendence had to use all measures so that there aren’t a large number of cases all at once. “At the moment we are managing to cope with the amount of people being admitted to hospital so that is the aim of the situation, to be able to treat the people properly.”

Prof. Gauci said the screening strategy at MDH was identifying people carrying the virus as soon as possible. As soon as there is a suspected person who might be infected, they are examined, tested and isolated.

Quick facts Saturday 4 April

• New cases on 3 April: 11
• Total cases so far: 213
• Healed cases: 2
• ITU cases: 3
• Swabbing tests overnight: 659
• Swabbing tests so far: 9,702