Diexter Thomas
GIBRALTAR now has only four active cases of COVID-19 after 129 people recovered from the virus.
All four cases are recovering at home with no one in hospital as a result of the Coronavirus.
The social lock-down has been extended for another month as Gibraltar after the success of the lockdown to keep infection low.
Over 2,000 tests have been conducted by the authorities, with Chief Minister Fabian Picardo saying that testing ‘may become endemic’ for the next six to 18 months.
“As we start to do more random testing, we will likely find many more symptomatic carriers are present in our community,” said the Chief Minister.
This means that testing may become a way of life to make sure that a further spread of the virus will not happen in the community.
Picardo spoke of the government designing a new strategy which creates guidelines to continue living with the virus among the community.
Tracking apps
Temperature check controls at the frontier and airport may be introduced in the future along with digital measures using mobile phones to track social contact in the community.
“We’ll be using them in a way that protects your privacy and your data as much as possible,” said Picardo.
More flexibility will be given to over 70s to exercise and have other liberties but the Chief Minister reminded that people should go out ‘only if you have to’.
It comes as more recent breaches of COVID-19 regulations have been revealed by the RGP, with two minors charged with leaving a place of residence without a valid reason to do so.
A 25-year-old female was reported for process after being previously warned about leaving their residence.
Finally, a 42-year-old male is on court bail after breaching regulations and appeared before the Magistrate’s Court today.
Picardo warned that people ‘could be dead within 21 days of contracting the virus’ whatever their age which is why social distancing was here to stay.
Business relief
Approximately 5-million pounds will be awarded to 4,500 employees working for 750 businesses respectively for just this month.
The money could be increased to six-million as more people and businesses get accepted for BEAT COVID relief payments.
It all forms part of the Gibraltar Government package for workers and businesses that have been closed down by the virus.
Some 335 self-employed will be given a share of £310,000 for just this month of April.
These payments will be transferred to accounts over the next couple of days.
