A vaccinated woman who travelled back home to Malta recently found out she was positive for COVID-19 after getting off the plane.

“I took a flight back home to Malta and I was positive a day later,” Yana*, who asked to remain anonymous, told Lovin Malta. “We went through all these travel restrictions to travel, yet I’m still positive.”

She recounted that she and her partner had travelled to a European country for a short holiday; however, her partner fell ill while abroad. They visited a doctor, who told them it was just his sinuses playing up, and when he tested for COVID-19 he was given a negative result.

They obtained some medicine, and a few days later travelled back to Malta. However, the evening before the flight, Yana began feeling ill as well, but just took some generic Panadol ahead of their flight.

When scanned in the airport coming back to Malta, her temperature wasn’t of concern.

“Then we arrived in Malta, walked through security, gave the passenger locator form, all of that, got home and stayed in because I was feeling ill – and  I found out I was positive a day later,” she said.

She’s now been left wondering whether she was positive on the plane, whether she exposed others while she was sick, and whether current mitigation measures are really working.

“I was already reluctant to take the vaccine and booster, but I had to take it for my job. I never really had faith in it, and now I don’t know if I will continue taking it in Malta.”

“I am vaccinated, yet I still got COVID-19 – I can enter establishments with my certificate, yet I could still pass it on…”

Currently, people are liable for a fine up to €10,000 if they are found to be breaking quarantine rules. 

Malta’s health authorities have already stated they have no intention of allowing people to start testing themselves for COVID-19 at home through self-testing kits in the near future.