Relatives of latest COVID-19 victim claim he contracted the virus at hospital

Relatives of the latest COVID-19 victim have claimed that the health authorities issued incorrect information • Health Ministry issues clarification 

The family claim that the victim remained in hospital, where he was tested again and received a positive result on 24 August
The family claim that the victim remained in hospital, where he was tested again and received a positive result on 24 August

Relatives of the latest COVID-19 victim have claimed that the man contracted the virus while in hospital.

While announcing the man's death on Sunday, the health authorities said that 86-year-old man was admitted to Mater Dei Hospital on 23 August and tested positive for the virus on 24 August after routine testing carried out on all patients who were admitted to the ward.

However, a relative of the victim told MaltaToday that the information distributed by the health authorities was incorrect. The family claim that the man had not tested positive when he was first admitted to the hospital – which they said was on the 9 August, not 23 August.

They claim that the victim remained in hospital, where he was tested again and received a positive result on 24 August.

"All the reports suggest that he had contracted the illness prior to being admitted into the hospital, wherein reality he had contracted the illness during his time at the hospital,” the family said.

The family said that the health authorities had also gotten the age of the victim wrong as well, he was in fact 85 and not 86.

Health Ministry clarification 

In a statement on Tuesday, the health ministry acknowledged that the victim was not suffering from COVID-19 when he entered the hospital, going against what was previously said in the original statement regarding his death.

The ministry said that the patient was admitted to Mater Dei Hospital on 9 August, and was only given a second test on 23 August after his condition worsened. It was then he tested positive for COVID-19.

They, however, said that no other patients or members of staff in the same ward tested positive for the virus.

The victim was transferred to the Infectious Disease Unit on 24 August, where he died on Sunday.

READ MORE: 12th death from coronavirus is 86-year-old ma