*FULL TEXT of statement by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia at yesterday's Press Conference:
In the last 24 hours there were a total of 38 attendances at A&E.
Four of them had COVID symptoms.
Three were swabbed.
There were no admissions into the COVID Ward or into the COVID CCU.
This morning there was one patient in the COVID CCU and there were no patients in the COVID Ward.
The latest data is as follows:
Total swabs 3252
Results pending 251
Results received 3001
Confirmed Cases 144
Active Cases 8
Recovered Cases 136
The eight active cases are at home.
A total of 663 swabs refer to the frontline targeted and systematic sample.
APRIL DATA
I want to recap briefly on our April data.
We started April with 46 active cases of COVID-19.
And with 770 tests done.
The number of active cases dropped to only 2 on 24 April.
And then shot up to 13 six days later on 30 April, the last day of the month.
By then, we had carried out 2626 tests.
A sample of 400 people selected at random was completed.
And another sample of frontline staff commenced.
The point I want to highlight about April is this.
The number of active cases went up from 2 to 13.
It did so quickly.
This is precisely what we need to guard against.
Today there are 8 active cases.
Again, this can change.
We must not let down our guard.
The virus moves fast.
That is why we urge you to follow official advice.
TEST NUMBERS AND LEVELS
The grand total of 3252 tests so far is some 10.2% of the population.
This is an important milestone.
In terms of tests done per capita (million), Gibraltar is now ranked sixth in the world.
We continue in the global top ten.
ALL PARTY GROUP IN WESTMINSTER
On another matter, by way of update, yesterday the Chief Minister and I met with members of the UK All Party Gibraltar Group.
The main topic of discussion was COVID-19.
I am pleased to report considerable interest in Gibraltar.
And considerable support.
Eighteen group members joined the virtual meeting.
From the House of Commons.
And the House of Lords.
This included the Group Chairman Sir Bob Neil.
There were Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democat, Scottish Nationalists, Ulster Unionists and Independent Parliamentarians present.
A wide breadth of cross-party support remains in place.
The MPs were full of praise for Gibraltar.
And for our actions in dealing with COVID-19.
Their message was clear.
They will be there for us when we need them.
AIR TRAVEL – LATEST REQUIREMENTS
Moving on, I want to say a few words about aviation.
This crisis has hit the airline industry hard.
Air travel is restricted.
Planes are grounded.
Airlines are on the verge of collapse.
British Airways has announced thousands of redundancies.
Ryan Air also.
And yesterday, Virgin Atlantic as well.
Nobody knows when the situation will improve.
But one thing is clear.
Like everything else.
Air travel will never be the same again.
Manchester, East Midlands and Stanstead Airports now require passengers to wear face masks and gloves.
The use of face masks is likely to grow.
Monitoring of temperature also.
The middle seats on aircraft may need to be kept free.
Lengthy health checks will be added to lengthy security checks.
All this will make flying more time consuming.
Not to mention more expensive.
In UK, there is talk of two weeks in self-isolation for arriving passengers.
Even for British Citizens.
This morning, I spoke to the Air Terminal Director Terrence Lopez.
The Government have already purchased ten thermal mobile temperature scanners.
They arrived in Gibraltar last week.
The mechanics of their deployment to the airport is currently under discussion.
Between the Director of Public Health, the Borders and Coastguards Agency and the Air Terminal.
The Government is grateful to them and to all those who keep the lifeline flight to Heathrow going.
AIR TRAVEL - CANCELLATIONS
On the same subject, I know that many of you have questions about flight cancellations.
Many of you have flights booked.
And are understandably uncertain as to what will happen.
You may have heard nothing from your airline.
Perhaps your flight is not until July or August.
And nobody knows when operations will resume.
Certain airlines have already contacted customers.
Some have cancelled flights.
You enjoy certain rights in those circumstances.
To be clear, when the airline cancels the flight.
Those rights apply:
- if you fly on an airline registered in an EU Member State; or
- if your flight departs from or lands in the airport of an EU Member State.
In such cases, airlines are obliged to offer customers:
- a refund;
- re-routing at earliest convenience; or
- re-routing at a later date chosen by the passenger.
This covers flights between Gibraltar and the UK.
It does not cover flights to and from Morocco.
The EU guidelines can be viewed on-line.
In the Transport section of the EU website.
Also on the website of our Office of Fair Trading.
However, the rules are different if you cancel your own trip.
A refund then depends on the ticket purchased.
In such cases you should contact your airline first.
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07-05-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
