Ministry of Health confirmed that one of the decisions made in light of the pandemic was to “decrease drastically the number of Out Patients appointments.”

“This decision was taken to limit the number of persons that need to visit Mater Dei on a daily basis and even to have more healthcare resources focused on the Covid-19 pandemic,” a spokesperson for the Ministry said.

However it is confirmed that the clinic is still taking appointments, but due to the urgent need for widespread testing in the COVID-19 crisis, check-ups will take longer than usual.

PCR tests in the GU clinic are used for molecular diagnosis to test patients for sexual diseases like gonorrhea. These have mostly shifted for coronavirus diagnosis, meaning the majority of laboratory space is also being used for this.

Although the clinic will still see to patients, they urge patients to call for a pre-assessment, as appointments may take longer to handle. They are still prioritizing urgent tests and will see to these patients within days.

Patients who attend appointments at the Mater Dei clinic have their fever checked upon entry.

If you are suffering from symptoms, even light ones, associated with the coronavirus, follow the following guidelines:

Stay indoors and avoid contact with other people, as you would with the flu.

Do not go to Mater Dei, the emergency department, health centres, private clinics, or pharmacies. Stay home and call the public health authority’s helpline 111 to set a swabbing appointment.

You should isolate yourself at home until you receive your test results. If you test positive for COVID-19, you should expect to receive your test results within a few hours. 

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A previous version of this article said that the clinic’s rapid test machine was being used to diagnose COVID-19 patients. In reality, the GU Clinic’s resource being used to aid in COVID-19 diagnosis is PCR swab tests.