Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1248303
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 MAY 2020 NEWS Cases 546 Imported 94 Local 450 Active 90 Recoveries 450 Deaths 6 LATEST DATA www.maltatoday.com.mt/covid19 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Prof. Charmaine Gauci yester- day said that despite the relaxa- tion of the soft lockdown meas- ures, which preceded the recent spike in cases this week, the in- fection rate was still below 1 on average. "This means transmission is still low. Every time we relax certain measures, they have not been a return to normal – re- tail outlets have been opened only with certain precaution- ary measures, such as the use of hand-rubs and limits on people inside shops," the public health superintendent said. But questions abounded yes- terday on whether Malta could afford the re-opening of tour- ist corridors as the number of asymptomatic cases showed that the COVID-19 virus was still very much present in the com- munity. Prof. Gauci offered little by way of her personal view on whether further relaxations of lockdown measures should take place – she also refused to comment on whether Malta had been hit by a secondary wave of infections. "We are sending a clear mes- sage to everyone to continue taking precautions. If you're in a group in public you're putting yourself at risk." Cases announced yesterday comprised of a man, 18, working in retail who had worn a mask at work but had no exposure to customers. Other symptomat- ic cases included Maltese men aged 28, 62 and 60. A 23-year- old woman working in a takea- way restaurant was also among these cases. The establishment was now being disinfected. The asymptomatic cases com- prised three men aged 40, 46, and 38; a 61-year-old woman tested after going to hospital emergency for a separate issue; and five healthcare workers. A 54-year-old male Mater Dei health worker tested positive for the virus. The health authorities are currently assessing the expo- sure risk for this patient, Gauci said. A Maltese carer in a hospital ward also tested positive. She was already in quarantine after contact with a positive case. A 52-year-old Maltese worker test- ed positive, with follow-up tests carried out in the ward and her family. A foreign carer in the same ward was already in quaran- tine and tested positive. And screening caught the case of a 22-year-old Maltese woman, al- so a healthcare worker. She dis- played no symptoms. More health workers contract virus CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 All Cabinet ministers are now in agreement that new restric- tions will have to be introduced, but health authorities told Prime Minister Robert Abela that lift- ing more than one restriction at a time could introduce unknown variables, leading to an unex- pected spike. A source privy to Cabinet talks told MaltaToday that talks on opening "safe corridors" for tourist routes, recently mooted by tourism minister Julia Farru- gia, was jumping the gun. "The PM was told that we can- not at this stage raise expecta- tions too high. Opening of air- ports is not on the cards. The virus is still in the community. But the health experts know what to do next. It is now a ques- tion of timing. However, if the number of infections increase – as it seems they have – the first victims are going to be our el- derly." Public Health Superintendent Prof. Charmaine Gauci yester- day refused to give any indica- tion of what she was advising the Maltese government on propos- als of tourism safe corridors. "It is something that has to be discussed but it does not mean the situation will change any time soon." The higher number of asymp- tomatic cases reflected the growing number of daily tests being carried out, she said. PM told opening up tourism corridors would create unknown variables