There is no reason to be concerned about June’s surge in COVID-19 cases, Health Minister Jo-Etienne Abela told Times of Malta.

“We do not think there is any cause for alarm,” he said when asked about the spike in the number of cases.

Since the beginning of June, there have been 232 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and three deaths from the disease.  Abela said the three people who died were aged between 70 and 86.

There are currently 83 COVID patients at Mater Dei Hospital but none are in the Intensive Care Unit. There are also eight patients at Saint Vincent de Paul home for the elderly.

Abela said: “It might be very transmissible and therefore, in situations where there are mass gatherings, like any other virus... the influenza virus, the common cold virus… if a virus is very transmissible, the cases will rise.”

The minister also said the cases are no more serious or complicated than expected and they are not causing any stress on the health services.

According to figures compiled by the health ministry, there were zero COVID cases in March and single-digit cases in April, but numbers increased in May and surged in June.

According to Abela, most COVID cases in Malta are of the JN.1 variant, a subvariant of the Omicron variant.

However, as of yesterday, there were also three registered cases of the LB.1 variant. The LB.1 variant is more transmissible than JN.1.

“We urge personal care, but there is no need for alarm,” repeated Abela. He dispelled the notion that mandatory masks would be reintroduced but did say that if vulnerable people feel inclined to wear one, they are encouraged to do so.

Furthermore, he encouraged people to practice personal hygiene, such as washing their hands and using alcohol-based hand sanitisers when necessary.