Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1222482
2 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 18 MARCH 2020 NEWS Coronavirus KURT SANSONE THE prayer room and a departure gate at Malta International Airport were not fumigated after a passenger fell ill and tested positive for the coronavirus, Mal- taToday is informed. The 15-year-old Spanish student was with a group that were leaving Malta on Sunday evening when he felt ill at the departure gates. He eventually tested positive for the coronavirus and is being held in hospital. But now, more airport workers have come forward with their concerns after Norman Vella, a border control officer, yesterday vented his anger and frustra- tion at what he claimed was the gross mishandling of the case. Vella said that the student was tested at Gate 8 in the departures area and was then transported with other people who were with him to the prayer room. None of these areas were fumigated and a cou- ple, unconnected to the group, moved into the Gate 8 area shortly after the stu- dent was tested, to feed their baby. A security officer who spoke to Mal- taToday on condition of anonymity has backed up Vella's claims, insisting workers were very concerned. He said the people with the student were held in the prayer room, which is not an isolation room but a room in the non-Schengen departures area, which at the time was full of people leaving Malta. He added that close to the prayer room there are two shops, which were neither closed as a precaution. "These passengers should at least have been put in the airport clinic but they never did. When we spoke to the nurse attending them she replied to us that they were human too and not prisoners, so they should be allowed to go out of the room. The reality is that they were allowed to roam freely in the Schengen arrivals area using toilets that passen- gers and staff use. Those premises were not fumigated immediately and none of us who were duty have been tested as a precaution," the security officer told MaltaToday. He also complained that their superi- ors have told them to reuse face masks instead of throwing them away after an hour, as recommended by the health authorities. "The masks we were given are dust masks and they are limited in number," he said, expressing concern at the risks airport workers may be facing. Airport staff are working under a lot pressure despite a drastic reduction in flights as travel restrictions were intro- duced gradually. MIA responds Malta International Airport said that the fumigation of the room where the infected passenger was held was "or- dered immediately, with the actual fumigation process being carried out shortly after this room was vacated". The company said other areas indicat- ed by the public health authorities were also fumigated to further minimise the risk of transmission. MaltaToday is informed that the fumi- gation took place yesterday when the tests on the passenger resulted positive for Cov- id-19 and not earlier, when the youngster was taken ill from the departures area. MIA said it was taking a host of oth- er measures, including the installation of additional hand sanitisers, the in- troduction of a stepped-up terminal cleaning schedule, the introduction of heightened queue management, and internal awareness-raising campaigns, to safeguard the safety and wellbeing of employees and airport guests. The company said this was a stressful period for customer-facing airport em- ployees and urged for prudence. "MIA would like to take this oppor- tunity to thank airport employees for their unflinching support and commit- ment towards service delivery, particu- larly the team involved in the handling of this case under the expert guidance of the public health authorities," the company statement said. Airport prayer room and departure gate not fumigated immediately, workers complain AT a time when many Mal- tese are virtual prisoners in their own homes due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 coronavirus, inmates at the Corradino Correctional Fa- cility are in one of the safest places to be. Sources close to the pris- on authorities gave Malt- aToday an insight into the preparations at the Corra- dino Correctional Facility for the possibility of an out- break of Covid-19. "Cleaning efforts are ongo- ing and vital, given the den- sity of the population – ap- proximately 1,000 persons in 1 square kilometre. Staff and inmates are constantly engaged in scrubbing the facility down," a source said. Contingency plans had started being drawn up over two weeks ago, with masks, infrared thermometers and HAZMAT suits being pro- cured well in advance of the virus's arrival on Maltese shores. A makeshift emergency clinic and dormitory for staff was constructed and a quarantine area for new prisoners has also been al- located. Every worker and inmate are having their tempera- tures tested regularly and as of Tuesday morning, all 806 prisoners and over 200 staff were found to be in good health. Visitors to the prison and parcels containing clothing were stopped last week. In addition to this, 50 hand sanitiser stations have been installed, the sources said. A stock of face masks was also procured but is not be- ing used at the moment as there are currently no sick prisoners. Additional phone cards have been issued to the in- mates who are reportedly taking the added restric- tions well. Passengers in cars enter- ing the premises are also being checked with digital thermometers. The sources said that in the case of an outbreak, all prisoners will be confined their cells to avoid spread- ing of the illness in the re- spective divisions, in line with Health Department instructions. Corradino prison takes early Covid-19 steps to protect inmates