Covid-19: 11 new cases registered, including first Gozitan – Prof Gauci

11 new cases of Covid-19, including the first in Gozo, have registered as positive, Supt. of Public Health, Prof Charmaine Gauci, said on Friday. This brings the total number of cases to 64, with only 2 cases recovered, she said.

Prof Gauci said that the 69-year old Gozitan man, started with symptoms of the virus on the 16th of March. He had not been abroad, but had been at a meeting on the 10th of March with other people, and the Professor said that it is probable that he contracted the disease there.

A 61-year old Maltese man is the first case with the virus to experience complications, he has developed bilateral pneumonia, he is not in a critical condition, so not in ITU, but is being closely monitored, Prof Gauci said.

His 45-year old partner also tested positive and Gauci explained that the likelihood is that they contracted the virus from a work colleague who has been abroad.

Prof Gauci once again stressed the need for the public listen to the authorities advice and to avoid close contact with others, as well as stay inside whenever possible.

A 63-year old male, travelled to northern Italy, symptoms started on the 14th of March, stayed inside when mandatory quarantine started. He lives alone, so Prof Gauci said nobody else was exposed to the virus.

There is a 71-year old Maltese woman, her partner was already positive with the virus and had been in hospital since 16th March.

Another is a 45-year old male who had travelled through Istanbul. He had been with another person who is also now being tested.

Prof Gauci said that the next case seemed to be through local transmission, with a 49-year old woman who is a private sector health care worker. Symptoms appeared on 17th of March, she had not been abroad and had not been in contact with anyone who had tested positive for the virus.

A 36-year old woman, who is another health care worker, has tested positive and had been in contact with a co-worker who had previously tested positive.

A 31-year old of Indian nationality, living and working in Malta, has tested positive. Gauci said that it would seem that he is linked with 3 others who had previously contracted the virus, and is possibly linked to their workplace.

A Spanish national aged 54 and living in Malta, was in Madrid from the 7th to 14th March, symptoms started on 17th of March, but he had been in quarantine since his return.

A 30-year old woman is another case, she is the mother of the 3-year old child that had tested positive earlier this week, her symptoms started two days ago and she is in good health. This is part of a cluster which started from someone who had abroad.