in ,

Gibraltar Confirms Zero Active COVID19 Cases as Lockdown Restrictions Ease

Chris Gomez

As of today (17.06.2020), Gibraltar has no active cases of COVID19. To date, there have also been zero deaths, with the vast majority of COVDI19 cases resulting in people recovering at home in self-isolation.

The Nightingale facility, intended to deal with nearly 200 COVID19 critical patients, has, to the relief of many, been unused and has now been decommissioned.

The Government of Gibraltar, however, stated that this facility is ready to be recommissioned quickly should there be a ‘second wave’, within 5 days.

10,414 tests, which represents one third of the population, have been carried out to date, including frontline workers who were expected to show the highest number of cases.

Out of this, 176 of people tested positive for COVID19 – which represents 1.69% of those tested came back positive on the Rock.

This comes after some feared a resurgence of the virus as the Government of Gibraltar continued to ease lockdown restrictions, with shops reopening and people venturing outside again for dinner and drinks in Phase 3 of Unlock the Rock; which allows restaurants to reopen at 50% capacity.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday (16.06.2020), when only 2 active cases were reported, the Chief Minister said: “Gibraltar is in a good place, but we cannot be complacent. The Government has led on decisions that seem harsh but needed to be done … each of you contributed to our first victory against the virus so far.”

Antibody Testing Shows Few Positive Results in GHA

Gibraltar Zero COVID19 Cases

Since the 1st of June, 1,247 antibody tests for COVID19 have been done for GHA staff, with only 18 people being found with COVID19 antibodies.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said during yesterday’s press briefing: “We have a low level of measurable antibodies int his group … it does demonstrate the understanding all along that the picture of immunity is complex … we now need public health advice as to whether testing the whole population will have any value with such a low prevalence of the virus…”

Fabian Picardo went on to say that although Gibraltar ordered 35,000 antibody testing kits, this has been done and paid for in batches.
Gibraltar currently has 4,000 of these antibody tests in stock, which are expected to last until mid-July 2020.

The Government of Gibraltar is considering “age-stratifying” the population with the GIS data and then sampling a representative 10% of Gibraltar’s population due to the low levels of the virus within the community.

What do you think?