Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1253597
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 MAY 2020 CORONAVIRUS CRISIS Cases 618 Local 524 Active 84 Recoveries 525 Deaths 9 Swabs 68038 LATEST COVID-19 www.maltatoday.com.mt/covid19 MATTHEW AGIUS PRIME Minister Robert Abela and his retinue are to be swabbed for COVID-19 after they returned from an official trip to Libya yesterday. Abela was granted special exemption from quarantine for himself and those on the aircraft. The Public Health Superintendent had consented to a request from the Office of the Prime Minister, to exempt Prime Minister Robert Abela from a mandato- ry quarantine period after his lightning visit to Tripoli. The visit included foreign minister Evarist Bartolo and home affairs minis- ter Byron Camilleri. In a notice published in the Govern- ment Gazette, Prof. Charmaine Gau- ci instructed that the provisions of the quarantine public order had been sus- pended from 28 May, 2020, for all per- sons on the Prime Minister's chartered private jet flight from Malta to Libya, returning that same day. "This suspension is granted on the ba- sis that the persons travelling on these flights provide an essential service, the very limited period of time that was spent abroad, national security emer- gency relating to the travel and urgency of the trip abroad," the Superintendent said. But while the quarantine exemption still stands, the Superintendent of Pub- lic Health insisted that those who at- tended the meeting abroad be swabbed for COVID-19. Abela travelled to Libya on Thursday for talks with the head of Libya's Gov- ernment of National Accord, Fayez al-Sarraj on the setting up of joint coor- dination units in their respective capi- tals to tackle the migration crisis. KARL AZZOPARDI MATER Dei's Infection Control department are carrying out an investigation to determine the cause of a COVID-19 cluster at the hospi- tal's ENT (ear, nose, throat) ward. MaltaToday received information that the large number of coronavirus cases which emerged from the ENT ward, might have been caused by an issue in its ventilation sys- tem. A number of patients and healthcare work- ers stationed in the ward tested positive for the coronavirus earlier on in the pandemic. Independent MP Godfrey Farrugia, whose brother works in the hospital's ENT ward, had mentioned the issue in parliament. Asked to confirm the report, Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci said the infection control department is carrying out an investigation, but the outcome has not yet been determined. "What we know is that transmission is from one person to another, and so we have contin- ued to strengthen measures such as the use of visors and masks for our healthcare workers," she said. The situation has since been put under con- trol, Gauci said. On Friday Malta registered its ninth death. No new cases were registered, while 13 pa- tients recovered from the virus. During the press briefing, Gauci was also asked to clarify any concerns surrounding the hospital. "Health authorities are doing their utmost to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone who might need to make use of hospital ser- vices," Gauci said. Virus in ENT ventilator: Mater Dei investigating filters for COVID TWO new cases of COV- ID-19 have been registered in Malta overnight, bring- ing the total number of ac- tive cases to 84. 11 COVID-19 patients were reported as having recovered in the latest fig- ures released by the Min- istry for Health today. In total, 525 people have recovered from the virus since infections started be- ing detected. Nine people have died in Malta after contracting the coronavirus, the latest death being a 68 year old man who died in Mater Dei Hospital on Friday. A 56 year-old man also died of COVID-19-related com- plications on the same day, after receiving treatment at the hospital. The two new cases were picked up in the latest round of swab tests: 1374 tests were carried out in the past 24 hours. A grand total of 68,038 tests have been carried out so far on the islands. Two new cases, 11 recoveries PM, entourage swabbed after Libya visit Libyan visit: Abela has been spared quarantine by the Public Health Superintendent but must be swabbed for COVID