Relatives of elderly residents at St Vincent de Paul Residence (SVPR) who are infected with COVID-19 are being kept in the dark over the condition of their family members, Times of Malta was told.

According to the health authorities, there are some 14 residents who have the virus, even though the vast majority of the residents there have been inoculated against it.

Their relatives are complaining they are kept in the dark and also being given little to no information on the condition of those infected.

The grandson of one of the residents with the virus said families are frustrated because they have to “rely on news reports for information”.

“We know that she has been moved to another ward, but we are unaware as to whether she is being kept with other patients. Getting in touch with the ward is often an ordeal in itself,” the grandson, who did not wish to be named, said.

The distraught man, who said he has not hugged his grandmother for almost a year because of the restrictions in place, questioned why the authorities were planning on easing restrictions in facilities for the elderly.

Health Minister Chris Fearne announced last week that the plastic sheets used as a barrier between visitors and the elderly residents could soon be going down as measures start being relaxed following the roll-out of vaccines.

Details on when and how this change would be taking place have yet to be unveiled.

“Is this really the right time to play Russian roulette with the lives of patients,” the grandson asked.

“This pandemic saga has been a massive failure. Health officials have turned into propagandists and politicians have revealed the extent of their cynicism. It is exhausting.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry for the Elderly said that doctors at the home provide regular updates to patients' next-of-kin via phone or, at times, video calls. 

"Replies to other queries are constantly provided by the Superintendent of Public Health," the spokesperson said.