The Maltese authorities have stepped up efforts to respond as quickly as possible to any coronavirus cases as a global 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern' was declared, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci told Times of Malta on Friday.
The World Health Organisation on Thursday declared an international emergency over the deadly coronavirus from China. However, no cases have yet been reported in Malta.
“We have already stepped up our preparedness and response containment including active surveillance, early detection, isolation and case management, contact tracing and prevention of onward spread,” she said.
An isolation unit with 12 beds for mild cases of coronavirus is being set up outside Mater Dei Hospital. Critical cases would be treated at the Infectious Diseases Unit inside the hospital.
The virus, which has caused the deaths of at least 170 people, has spread to every Chinese region and at least 15 other countries.
Meanwhile, the government has contacted some 40 Maltese registered with the embassy in Beijing as living in China, Hong Kong or Macao about their well-being amid concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Karl Bugeja said: “Anyone who is registered with our embassy in Beijing has been contacted based on the contact information they provided”.
He added that the embassy had not been notified of any other Maltese national living or visiting China since the outbreak.
The voluntary evacuation of hundreds of foreign nationals from the worst affected area of Wuhan is underway, with Australia, Singapore, France, the US and Japan already sending planes to bring their citizens home.
No such procedures for the evacuation of Maltese nationals have been implemented
On returning to their country, they face two weeks of quarantine to monitor for symptoms and avoid passing on the virus.
As it stands, Malta’s government has not been put in the same situation.
“Currently no such procedures for the evacuation of Maltese nationals have been implemented as according to the Embassy’s records all Maltese nationals are currently residing in areas which are not affected by the quarantines imposed by the pertinent Chinese authorities,” said Mr Bugeja.
“Evacuations of EU and other nationals currently being carried out relate specifically to Wuhan and Hubei Province. The ministry remains engaged on this matter with the health authorities.”
Maltese travellers are warned to avoid the city of Wuhan and Hubei Province because of the lockdown of transport in the area. “While the risk of contracting the disease for travellers and foreign residents in China remains low, there is a strong likelihood that travel could be disrupted by increased containment measures employed by the Chinese government.”