Air Malta, Virtu Ferries operate transport voyages to take Italians back, bring Maltese home

Air Malta operated two flights to Rome between yesterday evening and this morning in order to fly Italians back to their home country and to bring Maltese back to Malta.

Economy Minister Silvio Schembri wrote on Facebook yesterday that the first flight left Malta to Rome at 6pm, while the second flight will leave Malta this morning.

Schembri said that upon arrival in Malta, every passenger will be checked and instructed to quarantine themselves for 14 days.

The flights come as Malta’s measures to fight the novel coronavirus COVID-19 intensify, and after Italy locked down the whole country to try and contain the spread of the virus.

Malta registered its fifth case of the virus yesterday, with all five patients having contracted the virus while on holiday in Italy, which by Monday had registered almost 8,000 cases and 463 deaths from the virus.

Virtu Ferries meanwhile issued a statement announcing that it had been authorised by Maltese and Italian authorities to operate the vessel on the Malta-Pozzallo-Malta route as per schedule. “As a concession by the authorities, Maltese nationals and holders of a Maltese Residency Permit currently in Italy who wish to return to Malta, and Italian nationals currently in Malta who wish to return to Italy, may do so on the round trip scheduled for [ yesterday] evening, Tuesday, 10 March,” the company said.

Virtu Ferries later announced that two repatriation voyages will also be carried out today leaving Malta at 8.30am, and at 11.15am from Pozzallo.