Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1226904
5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 MARCH 2020 NEWS MASSIMO COSTA THERE have been 10 new cases of coronavirus patients reported on Saturday 28 March, Public Health Superintendent Char- maine Gauci said yesterday. These included four local trans- missions, bringing the total cases up to 149. New cases: A 72-year-old Mal- tese national who is in a critical condition. He initially reported suffering from slight chest pain, but had no fever. The man is now being treated at Mater Dei's ITU under specialist care. He is suf- fering from bi-lateral pneumonia and is on assisted ventilation. He was said to have been in contact with a relative who had contract- ed COVID-19 from abroad. The first test on the man had resulted in the negative, the second posi- tive. • A cluster of three Filipino patients who came to Malta on 13 March; originally, a family member of theirs had COVID-19 symptoms. The three patients - two men and a woman, all in their 40s - reported a dry cough and slight fever. • An Englishman resident in Malta, 69, who arrived back from the UK and had muscle pain symptoms. He arrived on the is- land with his family of three, and went into self-isolation. • A Maltese 30-year-old man who came back from France. He first registered symptoms on 24 March, saying he had lost his sense of taste and smell. Contact tracing is underway. • A female health care worker, 34, who had suffered sore throat symptoms. Contact tracing of her work colleagues and relatives is underway. This is a case of local transmission. • A Maltese man, 36, who is the partner of a previous COV- ID-19-positive patient, and is an- other case of local transmission. The man reported with fever and diarrhoea symptoms on 21 March. • Two Indian nationals, who were household contacts of an- other positive case and were tracked down through contact tracing. They contracted the vi- rus at their workplace and are part of a cluster of seven people. These two cases are also instanc- es of local transmission. "As we have seen, we've had var- ious cases. Some affected young health people presented with mild symptoms and no compli- cations. But, as we are experienc- ing, there have already been cases of people over 60 which present chances of complications, espe- cially when there are underlying conditions or the patients are al- ready being treated for another health issue," Gauci said. Lockdown for over-65s On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne announced that an- yone over 65, together with those suffering from certain chronic conditions, should not leave their home. He had said that relatives or other persons living under the same roof as people in these cate- gories should also not leave their home. Gauci yesterday said that ideal- ly they should try to work from home, or ensure social distanc- ing measures are in place at their workplace. "People living in the same household can pose a risk to vul- nerable persons. We are therefore recommending that, where pos- sible, such people should avoid going to work. We are in fact encouraging employers to offer teleworking. In a situation where remote working is absolutely not possible, then that person can go to work; but there must be social distancing measures in place to limit the chances of transmission at their workplace," Gauci said. "It is important that once that person returns home from work, they also apply social distancing from the elderly or vulnerable people who live with them. The recommended measures are for the vulnerable person concerned to stay in their own room and use a separate bathroom from the rest of the household. Contact during mealtimes should also be kept to a minimum," she said. Protect elderly parents, stay home – Gauci The Foundaon for Tomorrow's Schools (FTS), responsible for the building and renovaon of new and exisng State schools, is searching for a Chief Execuve Officer to deliver the vision, mission and strategic objecves of the Foundaon. The selected candidate will guide and provide oversight of all FTS operaons and assure quality of service, manage performance and overall resources, set and integrate strategy and direcon, and guide the FTS towards long-term success. The CEO shall have overall responsibility for the Foundaon and ensure effecve management structures. As the highest-ranking execuve official, the successful candidate will need to promote a strong work culture, vision and values and provide visible and inspired leadership. The FTS Chief Execuve Officer has the following key responsibilies: • provide overall direcon, effecvely manage, promote and implement the organisaon's aims and objecves, and develop the Foundaon's growth plan; • ensure that the operaons and acvies of the FTS are driven firmly and fully aligned with strategic policy objecves of the Ministry for Educaon and Employment as its main client; • raise and maintain the quality of service provision; and • lead, guide and direct the senior execuve team of the organisaon, movate subordinates and advance employee engagement. Interested persons must meet the following requirements: • hold a Bachelor's or Master's degree in the field of management or construcon or engineering or law or administraon or a relevant discipline; and • have at least five years proven experience in a senior management posion, with experience in corporate governance in the Public Service or the Public Sector being considered an asset. Interested persons may apply by sending an applicaon leŒer and CV by email to hr.s@gov.mt. Applicaons by post or by hand will not be accepted. All applicaons received by email will be acknowledged. Applicaons must be received by not later than Wednesday 15th April 2020. VACANCY OF A CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER JOBSPLUS VACANCY PERMIT NUMBER: 480/2019 government has paid them to do. We not only threw away a quarter of a billion euros for nothing, but now – in a mo- ment of crisis – we have to fork out more money to build new health facilities after the government gave away three public hospitals." The government had since stopped the tendering pro- cess, after claims of abuse emerged. "It's imperative that the gov- ernment makes clear what accusations are being inves- tigated and publishes the re- port of the investigation into the claims. We hope the gov- ernment has an alternative plan to this tender in place," Delia said. Azzopardi added that Abe- la was keeping in place a PPP contract with Steward that was costing the public €180,000 a day in pay-outs. "Robert Abela chose to keep in place a corrupt contract for 800 hospital beds that have never been provided. Abela preferred to place sick Maltese individuals in con- tainers instead of taking back the three hospitals the Labour government gave away." Azzopardi said one of the bidders for the project is Charles Magro, a contractor who was a constituent of Abe- la's from Qormi, and described as a "close friend of Labour's" who had also supplied outdoor canopies for Abela's leadership campaign.