Malta has registered its tenth death related to coronavirus. The Health Ministry said that a 72-year-old man who was tested positive on August 14, died on Friday. The elderly man was suffering from other health conditions. The ninth coronavirus related death was registered last May, when a 68-year-old man died at Mater Dei Hospital.
During the last 24 hours, 36 new Covid-19 cases were recorded bringing the total number of active cases to 682 while 854 have recovered. The Superintendent of Public Health Professor Charmaine Gauci has urged the public to continue exercising caution. She also said that as from midnight travellers arriving Malta from high risk countries – Bulgaria, Romania and Spain need to provide the COVID-19 test result.
Meanwhile, the first cruise ship since March 2020 has entered the port of Valletta. The MSC Grandiosa is operating under a strict and comprehensive health and safety protocol that applies equally both on land and at sea. MSC Cruises is the first of the major cruise operators to return with port calls. The company restarted its operations earlier this week with MSC Grandiosa sailing from Genoa on a 7-night Western Mediterranean Cruise; including Civitavecchia, Naples and Palermo before reaching Malta. For this initial phase, the ship is sailing with a maximum occupancy rate of 70 percent, allowing for 10 square meters of space per passenger and guests on board are residents coming Schengen countries. Guests will only go ashore through booked excursions and have to go through universal health screening, which includes three stages.
Stephen Xuereb, CEO of Valletta Cruise Port and COO of Global Ports Holding commented, “we are excited to welcoming MSC Grandiosa back to Valletta. The safety and well-being of guests, personnel and the local community is our upmost priority. In the last months together with the local health and tourism authorities and the cruise lines, we have been busy working on protocols that ensure a safe, secure and seamless experience for our guests. Valletta Cruise Port has been awarded the World Travel and Tourism Council’s ‘Safe Travel’ stamp which recognises the adoption of health and hygiene global standardised protocols.”
(ITALPRESS/MNA).