‘I was not contacted by the health authorities’ – Frank Fabri on quarantine rumours

The Education Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Frank Fabri told The Malta Independent that he has not been contacted by the health authorities, when asked whether rumours that he is in quarantine due to being in contact with a positive COVID-19 case from a meeting he attended were true.

On Tuesday, former PN leadership candidate and doctor Frank Portelli made a post on social media, wherein he indicated that a staff member attending a meeting on the opening of Schools held on 14 September has tested positive and that everyone present for the meeting is in quarantine; from the ‘Permanent Secretary onwards’.

This caused quite the stir with people questioning the integrity of the COVID-19 school protocols.

When someone asked Portelli if his information is true, he said “have I ever said something that is untrue? There was someone infected in a pre-school meeting, so imagine how many there will be in schools.”

The Malta Independent spoke with Fabri to confirm this report.

“This is something which the health authorities take care of through contact tracing and I will be honest with you, I have not been informed about anyone from the meeting on 14 September testing positive,” he said.

“This is news to me,” he added. “As you know, quarantine is not something that one chooses not to do. You are contacted by the health authorities to do it and I have not been contacted.”

He explained that this was a small scale and short meeting between officials taking care of the implementation of school COVID19 protocols at a certain school. For the most part, the meeting took place outdoors while respecting social distancing, mask and hygiene measures, he said. Fabri was only present for the start of the meeting to deliver a short address.

“There is no need for alarm,” he said.

Sources from the Education Ministry have also confirmed that the health authorities have not contacted them about this case.