Three new cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed, all imported from abroad, the Superintendent of Public Health said on Sunday.
This brings the total up to 21 cases.
The first is a 23-year-old healthcare worker who went to Dublin, returning on 10 March. He developed symptoms on 14 March and stopped going to work. His entire family is in quarantine.
Another case is a 20-year-old student, who returned from Dublin on 10 March, on the same flight as the other patient. On 12 he started showing symptoms. He went to a lecture and a risk assessment is being carried out with anyone he might have come in contact with.
The authorities are also speaking to people who were on the flight.
A 21-year-old Portuguese man who came to Malta for work, via Madrid, on 10 March, is the third case. The man and his girlfriend immediately went into self-quarantine. The situation is under control and the pair did not come in contact with many people, Gauci said.
All cases so far have been imported and there is, so far, no indication of local transmission.
People who are coming into Mater Dei with respiratory symptoms are scanned just in case they might be infected; 663 swabs were performed and all tested negative.
Gauci spoke on the importance of quarantine. It is crucial in the current containment stage, both for people returning from abroad and also for people who came in contact with people who are positive for Covid-19. She appealed to these people to stay inside, and call 111 in case they need food, medicine or other forms of assistance.
The most common symptoms are fever, cough and shortness of breath.
Two people have recovered, a woman and a man. They are both being followed up.
Gauci said the authorities are testing those who have symptoms and had prolonged contact with those who tested positive. They are also doing random tests on people who did not go abroad but report fever or cough symptoms, to see whether there is local transmission.
For there to be transmission, there needs to be 15 minutes of face-to-face contact or people have to be in the same room for 2 hours.
She explained that the people who are at risk on planes are those who are seated within a two-row radius from those with Coronavirus. The authorities, with the help of the airlines, identify these passengers and take the necessary measures.
So far, three people have been found to have breached quarantine rules, she added.