Pandemic-related restrictions relating to visits and outings at residential homes will be eased over the next month, Senior Citizens Minister Michael Farrugia said on Saturday.
The announcement came as care home residents who spoke to Times of Malta said they felt they were being “punished” with the restrictions.
Addressing a press conference, Farrugia said the restrictions would be eased in phases over the next 20 days, since the high vaccination rate had substantially improved the situation.
Timeline of scheduled easing of restrictions:
June 4:
Visits by relatives
Visits at residential homes by relatives who have been fully vaccinated will be held every day between 10.30am and 11.30am and 5pm and 6.30pm.
Each resident may be visited by one person at a time and the duration of each visit will be 25 minutes.
Visitors should still observe social distancing measures and wear masks.
Non-vaccinated visitors or those who are not fully vaccinated yet will only be able to carry out visits in the common area, as is the current procedure.
Visits at St Vincent de Paul home for the elderly will remain operating according to an appointment system.
Residents attending hospital appointments
Fully-vaccinated residents who need to attend out-patient appointments at Mater Dei Hospital or other hospitals/clinics will not have to quarantine when they return.
They will be administered a PCR swab test as soon as they return to the home and staff will continue monitoring them for any possible COVID-19 related symptoms.
Non-vaccinated residents will have to quarantine for five days before a PCR swab test is carried out. They will have to undergo quarantine in the contingency rooms, in line with the current procedure.
New admissions to residential homes
New residents admitted to the residential homes will be required to have a PCR swab test if they are fully vaccinated.
Non-vaccinated residents will need to quarantine for 14 days and get vaccinated.
June 8:
Day centres will increase the number of seniors allowed to gather together from four to eight and staff members from two to three.
June 14:
Outings
Fully-vaccinated residents from residential homes are allowed to go out with their fully-vaccinated relatives. However, staff will continue monitoring the residents for any possible COVID-19 related symptoms on their return.
Non-vaccinated residents can only meet with fully vaccinated relatives outside the homes. They will have to quarantine for five days on their return from an outing, after which a PCR swab test will be carried out.
Medical appointments
Residents can attend medical appointments outside the residential homes accompanied by their fully-vaccinated relatives.
Farrugia reiterated the importance of a high vaccination uptake among residents' relatives pointing out the higher the uptake, the quicker it would be to facilitate the final phase.
“The next phase is to remove all the restrictions, and this would depend on the inoculation of those elderly that were still awaiting vaccination, and the vaccination uptake by the relatives of the elderly in homes,” said Farrugia.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 breakout, homes for the elderly were closed to visitors as a measure to protect the residents.
Restrictions began to be lifted this year, initially allowing one visit a week and then removing the Perspex barrier during visits.
Since April, residents have been allowed two 25-minute visits every week, but only two members from the same household are allowed during each visit.
Care homes have also been permitted to organise outings for their residents but the residents cannot leave independently or with their family.