[WATCH] 14 new COVID-19 cases in Malta as spike continues

Malta has registered a staggering 14 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, after having registered 10 cases the previous day.

With two recoveries in the previous 24 hours, Malta now has 90 active cases.

The total number of coronavirus patients in Malta now stands at 546, with almost 50,000 swabs having been taken in the last three months.

Of the 14 new cases,  9 showed no symptoms and 5 were symptomatic. Contact tracing is being carried out in all cases.

The first new case was a Maltese man aged 18, who works in retail. He was tested after showing symptoms. Gauci said the man wore a mask at work and that there was no exposure to customers. 

Other symptomatic cases included Maltese men aged 28, 62 and 60. A 23 year-old Maltese woman who worked in a takeaway restaurant was also among these cases. The establishment was now being disinfected and contact tracing carried out on her co-workers.

The asymptomatic cases were a 40 year old Gozitan man who worked in the private sector, a 38 year-old Maltese man who works in the public sector, a 46 year-old Maltese man who works in the private sector.

A 61 year-old Maltese woman was also found to be carrying the virus after she went to hospital for a separate issue and was tested at A&E.

Five healthcare workers were also infected.
A 54 year-old male Maltese healthcare worker at Mater Dei Hospital tested positive for the virus. The health authorities are currently assessing the exposure risk for this patient, Gauci said.

A Maltese carer in a hospital ward also tested positive. She was already in quarantine after contact with a positive case.

A 52 year-old Maltese healthcare worker was found to be positive following tests and the authorities were following up the case with tests on his ward and family.

A foreign carer in the same ward was already in quarantine and tested positive.

Screening caught the case of a 22 year-old Maltese woman who is also a healthcare worker. She displayed no symptoms.

Gauci pointed out that today’s patients showed a variety of symptoms and a number of asymptomatic cases.  She said she wanted to send a “clear message that everyone is to continue to take prevention measures.”

She appealed to the public, saying that “if you’re in a group in public you’re putting yourself at risk. The police have enough to do  and are doing their duty. We are to be responsible enough to follow these measures.”

With influenza season starting in October, and the prospect of facing two different strains of virus, which both may prove fatal, Gauci on Friday said that preparations are underway to ensure that the country is prepared to handle patients. “A plan is being discussed so we can ensure that all systems are in play,” she said.

Gauci also called on people to continue wearing masks, insisting that the virus is still among the community. She also confirmed that wearing masks on public transport is mandatory.

Antibody testing kits are also being verified by health authorities, in order to ensure the best use to test the population’s antibody response.