Updated 1.40pm, adds death details

A total of 240 new COVID-19 cases were detected between Monday and Tuesday as a new death was recorded.

Tuesday's number is just slightly lower than the record 245 cases registered on Saturday.

The new cases were detected from 3,354 swab tests. A total of 550,267 tests have been carried out so far, with 14,769 testing positive. 

With 80 recoveries registered overnight, there are currently 2,519 active cases in Malta.

In a statement in the afternoon, the health ministry said the death was of an 85-year-old man who was confirmed positive to COVID-19 on December 27. He died at Mater Dei Hospital on Monday.

No information was available at the time of writing about the latest COVID-19 death, which pushed the death toll up to 234. 

Public health work was rocked on Monday after it was reported that the COVID-19 team’s coordinator, Kenneth Grech, was removed from his post with no explanation. The government later denied that Grech's removal was linked to his advice not to reopen schools. 

Early on Tuesday, doctors gave notice of industrial action over Grech's redeployment.

Contact tracing teams are still working to identify possible sources of infection for the new cases announced on Tuesday. Of those announced on Monday:

* 42 are family members of known cases;

* 11  are work colleagues of known cases;

* Six were in direct contact with known cases;

* 11  were at social gatherings with known cases

No information was provided about the remaining cases announced on Tuesday.