This afternoon, the Minister with responsibility for Public Health, the Hon Prof John Cortes, hosted Staff Recognition Awards for all those who worked at the Contact Tracing Bureau between March 2020 and March 2022. The event took place at the Europa Point Sports Complex, which was the home of the Contact Tracing Bureau throughout the pandemic.

The awards ceremony acknowledged the immense dedication and support of all deployed officers and GHA clinical staff towards our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 100 members of staff received an award recognising and commending their work.

The event was attended by His Excellency the Governor, the Chief Minister, the Minister for Civil Contingencies, the Director of Public Health and the guest of honour Professor Maggie Rae, President of the Faculty of Public Health UK, who is currently in Gibraltar.

The Minister with responsibility for Civil Contingencies, the Hon Samantha Sacramento, said: ‘I have been very fortunate to have worked with many excellent people throughout the Pandemic who ensured that we were able to address the many issues that arose in the best way possible. Before the Pandemic began, the Contact Tracing Bureau did not exist. It became very clear, very quickly, that we needed to set up a team and begin this essential part of our COVID-19 response. I would therefore like to sincerely thank all those staff who were deployed to the Contact Tracing Bureau for their commitment and diligence throughout the Pandemic. We are all very grateful.’ 

The Minister with responsibility for Public Health, the Hon Prof John Cortes, said: ‘I am so proud of all our Public Servants and GHA workers who were deployed to the Contact Tracing Bureau during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their work was so important to us in ensuring that the spread of the virus was contained as much as was physically possible. During the very dark days of the pandemic, they were also responsible for phoning up every single person who was positive for COVID-19, as well as all of their close contacts. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank each and every one of them for their hard work these past two years.’

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo, said: ‘I am absolutely delighted to have been able to present these recognition awards to all of our brilliant members of staff who were redeployed to the Contact Tracing Bureau throughout the pandemic. It was particularly poignant to have presented these awards at the place where the Contact Tracing Bureau was based. Little did we know at the time we made the decision to build this facility that it would become the home of the Nightingale Hospital and of the Contact Tracing Bureau. On behalf of the Government and of the People of Gibraltar, I take this opportunity to thank you all for your dedication and support through what has been Gibraltar’s darkest days.’

ENDS