Medical appointments both for hospital and non-hospital attention were limited to emergencies only following the government’s declaration of a state of crisis on 16 March, in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.

In a public statement, the ministry said that in light of a decrease in the number of new infections and to avoid a backlog of cases overloading the health sector in the medium-term, “the government decided that medical activity can resume as of 4 May, regardless of the nature of the health problem.”

Lenert stressed that access to care during the crisis period was not strictly prohibited. Indeed, GPs and other doctors began to offer telemedicine, via video or phone only consultations.

Patients screened when making appointments

The resumption of medical activity covers all categories of doctors in hospitals and non-hospital sector as well as other professions such as nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and psychotherapists, the statement said.

There will however be some changes to mitigate the spread of the virus. Appointments must be made via phone, during which staff will screen each patient for covid-19 symptoms. If symptoms are present, patients will be referred to an advanced care centre or emergency service.

The ongoing use of telemedicine is also strongly encouraged where possible. Protective measures will be provided at GP receptions and in the waiting rooms.

Appointments will be scheduled so as to guarantee a distance of 2 metres between patients present in the waiting room. When entering the waiting room, the patient must have disinfected their hands and be equipped with a mask.

The health professional are expected to follow the hygiene recommendations of the Health Directorate, particularly with regard to protective equipment and rules for washing and disinfecting hands. Special personal protective equipment is required for health professionals who are exposed to a particular risk of contamination, such as dentists or, in some cases, physiotherapists.

Hospitals

The country’s four advanced care centres will remain operational. The area dedicated to non-covid-19 patients will be taken over by medical practices from 4 May. The centres will be open from 10am to 6pm, instead of 8am to 8pm.

In hospitals, medical and surgical activities will start to resume, based on a priority list and hospital resources. And patients with and without covid-19 will continue to be separated to avoid contamination.

The announcement came as the number of new daily infections slowed to 12, from 27 to 28 April, bringing the total to 3,741.