Malta has one of the European Union’s lowest COVID-19 positivity rates, according to EU data, an encouraging indicator in the country’s battle to keep the pandemic under control. 

A weekly map published by the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention showed that Malta was among a restricted group of European countries which kept its positivity rate – the proportion of COVID-19 swab tests that are positive – below the 4 per cent threshold. 

Data compiled by GeoSys for Times of Malta indicates that Malta’s positivity rate has hovered at around 2.4 per cent since the pandemic was first detected in the country last March. The rate had risen above 7 per cent in October, when the number of new cases being detected reached record highs. 

Malta’s health ministry does not provide positivity rate data and does not provide a breakdown of COVID-19 testing figures, to distinguish between tests of new subjects or re-tests of existing patients. 

Health Minister Chris Fearne was quick to highlight the ECDC findings, writing on social media that it was important to “keep on testing”. 

Testing rate 

While Malta’s positivity rate is among the lowest in Europe, the country is no longer Europe’s frontrunner when calculating COVID-19 tests per 100,000 people: Denmark, Cyprus and Luxembourg are all testing greater shares of their populations, the ECDC data indicated. 

Malta falls into a second tier of nations on this metric, along with countries such as the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia and Sweden. 

New case rate

In terms of the 14-day notification rate per 100,000 people – how many COVID-19 cases are found per capita – Malta is within the ‘red’ tier of countries which reported more than 150 cases per 100,000 in the period under review. 

Practically all of Europe, with the exception of Iceland, Ireland, Finland and a few regions in other countries, was classified in this highest ‘red’ tier in the week ending on Thursday.  

The number of virus cases detected is however directly linked to the frequency of testing carried out, as more widespread testing leads to more cases being detected. 

Practicially all of Europe falls into the highest tier when calculating the 14-day notification rate per 100,000 people. Map: ECDCPracticially all of Europe falls into the highest tier when calculating the 14-day notification rate per 100,000 people. Map: ECDC

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