Updated 1.15pm

Eighty-eight new COVID-19 cases were detected between Sunday and Monday while four further virus patients died, data provided by health authorities indicated. 

Statistics provided by the Health Ministry noted that 137 virus patients recovered overnight. 

The new cases were detected from 2,868 swab tests, meaning just over 3 per cent of tests carried out over the past day resulted in positive cases. 

The Health Ministry data listed 194 virus deaths - four more than Sunday's tally. Details about the four latest victims was provided later, in a separate ministry statement. 

The victims are: 

• A 72-year-old woman who tested positive on December 8 
• A 78-year-old man who tested positive on December 16 
• A 72-year-old woman who tested positive on December 2 
• A 75-year-old man who tested positive on December 14 

All four died on Sunday. The 72-year-old died at the Good Samaritan long-term care facility while the other three died at Mater Dei Hospital. 

According to the data, there were 1,493 active virus cases in the country as of 12.30pm on Monday. 

Monday's cases are still being investigated by contact tracing teams. Of the 93 new cases announced on Sunday: 

• 16 are family members of known cases
• 12 are work colleagues of known cases
• Six were in direct contact with known cases
• Four were at social gatherings with known cases 

Malta will be suspending flights to and from the UK as of Tuesday, in an attempt to reduce the risk of introducing a contagious new COVID-19 strain the British government has said is "out of control" into the country. 

Malta's vaccination programme is expected to kick off next Sunday, pending conditional approval of an initial vaccine by the European Medicines Authority later on Monday.

Hospital staff are the first in line to be vaccinated, with residents and staff at homes for the elderly to start being vaccinated by the following Wednesday.