COVID-19 has made 2020 one of the deadliest years in Malta’s recent history, with deaths rising by a monthly average of over 12 per cent above the figures of the previous four years.

In figures published last week by the EU’s statistical body Eurostat, December 2020 proved to be the worst for mortality, with the number of deaths up by nearly 39 per cent.

To date, the health authorities have reported 357 deaths attributed to COVID-19 since the pandemic reached Malta in March.

While between March and August of last year, Malta had only experienced 12 COVID deaths, numbers began to climb, culminating to an all-time high of 75 deaths in November and 85 in December. In 2021, there have been 48 deaths reported in both January and February.

Victor Grech, associate professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, said that the excess number of deaths correlated with the rise in COVID-19 cases.

Asked whether excess mortality would continue to increase based on the current rate of infection, Grech said this was difficult to determine, however, the hospital was “burdened”.

“Hospital is really stretched at the moment and it would be nice if people had a little care and courtesy and really made the effort not to get infected, particularly during this last stretch where we hopefully all get the jab before the summer,” he said.

“The last thing we need is more cases coming in that will lead to a bigger spike. I cannot say what the outcome will be, but it really depends on people’s behaviour.

“There are basic principles of contagion and people really need to behave themselves and not be short-sighted, because if people continue to die, there is really no excuse.”