The Strategic Coordination Group for Legionnaire’s Disease met virtually this afternoon, chaired by the Minister for Health, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez.

The Director of Public Health confirmed that, following the laboratory results of samples, a potential common source of infection has been identified and immediately isolated. The Director of Public Health has been assured by water specialists that the risk from this potential source has been mitigated to the extent that it poses no significant risk of further infection.

Further sampling and testing will be undertaken to confirm that this was the source of infection of the four known cases to have been diagnosed in Gibraltar since September.

The Director of Public Health is also pleased to confirm that there have been no further cases identified in Gibraltar, and that the patient who was receiving treatment at St Bernard’s Hospital is now at home and doing well.

The Minister for Health, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, said: ‘The quick action of the Director of Public Health and the Environmental Agency to isolate this potential source means that it no longer poses a danger of causing further infections. The samples will now undergo further specialist testing to identify whether or not it was a source of infection for one or more of the cases.’