Flights from high risk regions in Italy should be cancelled, doctors' union says

Doctors are calling on the government to cancel all tourist flights from northern Italy as a precaution to prevent a coronavirus outbreak.

The Medical Association of Malta accused the government of failing in its duty to protect the health of the population by overruling the advice of health professionals.

MAM President Martin Balzan said on Tuesday that all union members agreed that flights from Italy’s northern regions should be cancelled.

“Political opinion has overruled the opinion of doctors – I understand that there is concern over the economy and the tourism sector, but the situation the northern part of Italy has reached epidemic status, and we know from the data that the majority of cases found in other European countries have been imported from Italy. Every day the situation in Italy gets worse and the figures rise, action needs to be taken quickly,” Balzan warned.

As of 3 March, Italy recorded 1,689 cases, with a total of 561 new cases confirmed in the last 24 hours and 35 deaths.

MAM proposed that only Maltese residents should be allowed to board flights from Lombardia, Veneto and Emilia Romagna regions, where Covid-19 infections have skyrocketed.

“Tourists coming from these regions should not be allowed to board flights as they are most likely not going to self-quarantine themselves. This should be done not just to safeguard the Maltese but other tourists that come from unaffected regions,” Balzan said.

The association is also encouraging the government to enforce mandatory quarantine for all residents who have been on flights from northern Italy where the epidemic is out of control.

Balzan said self-quarantine did not appear to be working, citing cases reported previously in the media of parents continuing to send their children to school, and even employers pressuring employees to return to work regardless.

“We are proposing spot checks, which would carry heavy fines if broken. I would be comfortable with the authorities setting a fine of €5,000 if caught breaking quarantine. We are talking about a highly contagious virus, breaking quarantine could affect thousands of people, the punishment has to be severe,” Balzan said.

MAM encouraged the government to put short term economic consequences aside and give priority to the health of the population. The association said that it encouraged employees who have travelled to at-risk regions to work from home when possible.

The association also said that the government should pay for quarantine leave in the private sector unless reckless individual behaviour is noted to encourage employers to allow their employees to take sick leave when needed.

MAM also advised patients returning from affected areas with a fever and flu-like symptoms not to go to their doctors or health centres or attend the accident and emergency department, and should instead stay home and phone for advice.