Passengers flying out of Malta found to have fever at the airport will not be allowed to board their flight until a COVID-19 test result comes back negative, Times of Malta can confirm.

Flights to and from the island will resume as from July 1, more than three months since a ban was introduced to contain the coronavirus outbreak in March.

In comments to Times of Malta, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci explained that anyone found to have fever of 37.2°C or over when passing through the airport’s thermal screening machines will be isolated and tested on the spot.

Anyone found to have fever of 37.2°C will be grounded

“This means that until the test result for COVID-19 comes back negative, the passengers will not be allowed to fly,” Gauci said. As tests results take a couple of hours to come out, feverish passengers at the airport will inevitably miss their flight.

Those arriving in Malta will also be subject to the same procedures. While residents will be allowed to wait for the result in isolation at home, tourists will be forced to stay at the airport’s clinic as a precaution until it is confirmed they are not infected.

“We will evaluate each passenger’s individual situation and take decisions on a case-by-case basis but someone staying in a hotel, for instance, will not be allowed to go wait for the result there,” Gauci said.

Flights to 22 countries deemed safe by the government will resume on July 1 while any remaining travel restrictions will be lifted on July 15.

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