Prime Minister Robert Abela visited the swabbing centre in Luqa on Monday in order to thank frontliners and see their working conditions for himself.
Posting on social media on Monday, Abela said that he had visited the swabbing centre without any announcement so that he could thank those working there and also see their working conditions for himself.
He said that Malta has a very high rate of Covid-19 testing, noting that it is in fact three times higher than the European average and 22 times higher than what is recommended by the World Health Organisation.
Health authorities have been consistently carrying out between 1,500 and 1,800 swab tests on individuals every day in recent weeks.
There are testing hubs in Luqa, Pembroke, Mater Dei Hospital and Xewkija in Gozo catering for individuals, but there are plans for a further two hubs to open in the near future.
Abela’s impromptu visit comes after a Maltese frontliner working in a testing centre told The Malta Independent that the swabbing centres were understaffed and that the workers there were unmotivated and facing months of backdated wages.
In a social media post, Martina Agius, dared Abela to spend a day at a swabbing hub, where workers are working through a heatwave without a swabbing buddy and dealing with an influx of swab tests done daily.