Health authorities reported 146 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. 

Fifteen patients recovered while the death toll remained unchanged at 420. As a result, the number of active virus cases in the country currently stands at 1,963.

The number of COVID-19 patients receiving treatment in hospital remained unchanged at 18. One person continues to receive treatment in Mater Dei’s intensive treatment unit. 

A total of 3,809 swab tests were administered over the previous day. 

Vaccination 

Data provided by the health ministry showed that healthcare workers administered just 1,044 vaccine doses the previous day – one of the lowest one-day totals in months. 

However, that lull in vaccination is likely to be reversed on Monday, when walk-in vaccination clinics and a mobile vaccination clinic began operating. 

The clinics allow residents who do not have a local ID card to receive a vaccine by showing some proof of residence such as a utility bill. 

Walk-ins are being accepted at vaccination centres at the University of Malta campus and Gozo Conference centre while a mobile vaccination clinic began operating at the Mosta Technopark. 

The initiatives appeared to be a success, with hundreds of people lining up for a single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Mosta. The clinic’s opening hours had to be extended to allow all attendees to receive a vaccine. 

As of Sunday, 357,558 people were fully vaccinated, translating to just over 81 per cent of adults in Malta are fully vaccinated. Around 85 per cent have received an initial vaccine dose. 

Patient ages

Health authorities also provided some data about the 195 new virus cases reported on Sunday. 

Of those, around 64 per cent (125 cases) were among people aged 10 to 39. The average patient was aged 29 - higher than the average age of 27 registered over the weekend.