Public Health chief Charmaine Gauci has declined to echo Prime Minister Robert Abela’s claim that the COVID-19 situation in Malta is “under control”, saying instead she prefers to focus on the “scientific facts” in hand.
“I am a scientific person so I talk science. I talk about what we are seeing.
“We have a number of new cases who have a number of contacts. We are seeing a number of these new cases every day and our role is to make sure we control the situation. We cannot control the situation alone and we need the public to adhere to the measures and advice,” Gauci said during Times of Malta’s fortnightly Facebook show Ask Charmaine.
Asked whether she was worried about the spike in cases, moments before the health authorities announced that 20 new cases were registered overnight, Gauci said that if the numbers continued to increase, she would be concerned.
“If we keep on going the way we are, I will be worried. We need the public’s cooperation. It is up to people to control where they visit. My appeal is for more protection of the vulnerable and for those out and about to remain vigilant,” Gauci said.
Though she would not specify the exact figure, Gauci said the R Factor is currently higher than one, which is a problem for the authorities as this suggests spread within the locality is once again on the increase.
The R factor represents the rate at which the virus is being transmitted. A value higher than one means that the virus is spreading, while a value below one means that the virus is being gradually choked of new hosts.
The number of active coronavirus cases – 249 as of Wednesday – is similar to what it was in April, when all non-essential shops were still closed and most people were spending most of their time at home.
The situation is very different this time round, Gauci admitted, as people seem to be less willing to stay home and are spending more time outside.
But asked whether she believes people should once again be confined to home, Gauci said the issue was with the places people visited and their behaviour while there.
“Now we are asking people to choose where to go. Even with the mitigation measures, people should try to go to places where they are as safe as possible. If you are a vulnerable person, avoid places where there are large crowds,” Gauci said, admitting that contact tracing had become a “bigger burden”.
This was especially so with cases involving young people attending mass events and who tend to visit more than one place in a short period of time.
Testing still crucial
Although she acknowledged delays in testing in recent days, Gauci assured that those with symptoms or contacts of other patients were still given priority. They are tested within two days, she said.
Times of Malta reported on Monday that patients booking a test on August 1 were given appointments for swab tests on August 12 even though the virus incubation period is usually 14 days.
According to Gauci, more people were being brought in to step up testing, saying that this was still a priority for the authorities and their main aim is to find cases as early as possible to contain them.
“The active cases do not worry me much because they are in isolation. What worries me is ongoing transmission within the community that has not yet been identified. That is the most important point,” she said.
The superintendent has also confirmed that spot checks to ensure those who should be in quarantine are still abiding with the rules are still being carried out and fines are still being issued to those in breach of regulations.