A total of 57 people tested positive for COVID overnight, while a further 37 recovered, according to fresh health authorities data.

The figures show that there were no deaths linked to the pandemic over the past 24 hours, meaning Malta has a total of 687 active cases.

Of these, 39 are at Mater Dei Hospital, three of whom are receiving intensive care.

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Vaccinations

So far, a total of 409,183 people have been fully vaccinated against the virus.

In all,  791,292 J&J, Astra Zeneca, Pfizer and Moderna jab doses have been administered.

The local authorities are urging all those aged 12 and over to get vaccinated, as close to 90 per cent of the population has now received the jab.

A US study has just confirmed that the jabs offer better protection than natural immunity alone.

The study by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention shows that unvaccinated people are more than twice as likely to be reinfected with the virus than those who were fully vaccinated after initially contracting the virus.

Head of Infection Control at Mater Dei Hospital, Professor Michael Borg confirmed that in Malta there have been people who suffered multiple COVID-19 infections before the vaccine campaign kicked off.