[WATCH] One positive COVID-19 case overnight, nine recoveries

Malta records only one new case of coronavirus for the second consecutive day • Rfactor drops to around one

Malta recorded one new case of COVID-19 on Monday, while a further nine individuals have recovered.

The figure was revealed by Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci during her press-briefing.

This is the second consecutive day that the country has recorded just one new coronavirus case.

Total cases now number 120, after 803 swab tests were carried out in the last 24 hours.

Several health workers and a patient at Karin Grech Hospital tested positive for the virus over the weekend.

Asked on the relatively low number of cases when compared to previous days, Gauci said that health authorities have outlined a trend in which people refrain from testing on Sundays.

Gauci started off the press briefing by giving details of the recorded cases over the weekend.

The number of people hospitalized and where they are being kept includes 11 at Boffa Hospital, seven at St Thomas Hospital and four at Mater Dei. No one is being kept at the ITU.

The low number of cases recorded in the last few days means that the Rfactor has now returned to around one, Gauci confirmed.

Despite the low cases recorded, she also insisted the virus is still transmitting in the community, with 1% of all people with no symptoms who look to get tested emerging positive.

On the public’s cooperation over the weekend, Gauci said it is in the interest of businesses owners and their customers to abide by regulation.

“Our work is to keep on informing people and continuing to deliver the message that measures need to be abided by,” she said.

On Sunday, PM Robert Abela said that during the next lifting of restrictions by government, summer schools will be opened. Gauci said that mitigation measures are being discussed with experts so as to ensure that the spread of COVID-19 is controlled.

"It is more difficult to control children than adults, so we are working on mitigation measures based on hygiene and not having long periods of contact or large groups."

As people will be allowed to visit elderly at care homes under strict regulation from Monday, Gauci was asked whether health authorities are looking at extending these measures to hospital patients.

“The situation is very different, at elderly homes Perspex sheets have been installed to keep people protected, as were appoint times. This is quite difficult to do at hospitals,” she said.

OFFICIAL COVID-19 figures for 25•05•2020 Chris Fearne | MaltaGov | Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate | Covid19 Malta

Posted by saħħa on Monday, 25 May 2020