95% of COVID-19 helpline calls being answered in less than a minute, health minister says

95% of calls on the COVID-19 helpline, 111, are being answered within one minute, health minister Chris Fearne said on Monday.

Speaking in parliament, the deputy prime minister thanked front liners for their work, stating that government has improved the helpline, with around 12,000 calls being received daily.

Fearne said that Malta now has seven testing hubs, with another two swab centers opening next week in the northern region of the country and at the airport.

He stated that testing at the airport of passengers arriving from amber list countries will increase by 500% thanks to the introduction of rapid testing.

“The majority of passengers coming from countries on the amber list will now be tested before entering the country,” he said.

Fearne said that a brand new hospital in St Paul’s Bay is receiving positive patients from old people’s homes. This, he said, would ensure other residents’ safety.

He also announced an agreement with Italy and Czech health ministries which will see a new stock of Remdesivir arriving in the country to help coronavirus patients.

Chris Fearne said that over the last two weeks, 30 new nurses were engaged with 400 more nurses, mostly foreign, being employed in the coming four months.

On the COVID-19 vaccine, the health minster said that it will not be introduced before it is deemed completely safe.

“Until it arrives, we must abide by health regulation,” he said.