THE Minister for Public Health expects a big increase in Covid-19 cases next week, especially after random testing is carried out.

The extent of problem would be clearer once more testing is carried out in Gibraltar and the results can be processed locally.

“We mustn’t get complacent,” said Minister for Public Health John Cortes.

“If we do hold it back a little bit more and the curve does flatten well then that is more reason to carry on with these measures, and it’s not a reason to stop.”

Active cases did not go up today, remaining at 34 recovered cases and 35 active ones out of 375 results received.

Despite the good news in respect of recoveries, Minister for Public Health John Cortes pointed out that around 30% of the 241 results to come could prove to be positives.

Seven people were treated in the last 24 hours with Covid-19 symptoms, with six being swabbed.

Two were sent home, five were admitted to the hospital, one of them at the intensive care ward.

Over this week the 400 random test subjects will be called to the drive-thru centre at Rooke.

Plans are being made to not only test for Coronavirus, but also for other diseases that seem to be causing similar symptoms in the community.

The GHA has taken on the help of Professor Cummings, Chief Executive of Health Education England.

He will be assessing Gibraltar’s resources to address any gaps in Gibraltar’s Covid preparations for the future.

Acting medical director Krishna Rawal confirmed that people who had recovered from Covid-19 would have an immunity from the virus.

“If you are past infection and you are back to full health, you will have some immunity to it but that please does not make you Superman,” Rawal warned.

“It doesn’t mean that you can disregard any advice we give you about hand-washing or catch it, bin it, kill it.

“You can still pass that infection on to somebody else who may very well be more vulnerable, and maybe in the old age group.”

Customs Checks
SUPPORT: Customs officers have supported the RGP on Gibraltar streets

Precaution success

The Minister for Public Health said that he has been surprised by the lack of people in hospital and that there were no deaths so far.

Both he and the Medical Director believe that the isolation of the elderly has been influential in keeping down the infection and death in the community.

Cortes said he wanted to ‘address’ the situation of elderly people living in homes that were in a poor standard as highlighted in a recent TV programme.

However, he also said landlords should to look into ‘any elderly who they may have within their properties’.

“Landlords are clearly responsible for them and they may look into how they’re doing,” added Cortes.

There has been a big response from the public for oxygen regulators with more donations also coming in to help the GHA in the pandemic effort.

At today’s Cabinet meeting which took place online for the first time Cortes said the government was already looking beyond the pandemic.

“I think positively, we were looking beyond Covid, and how society will recover what will be the same and what will never be the same,” he said.

“So we’re already looking at the long term future to help Gibraltar recover to what it was before as well as the short term future.”

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