The Nationalist Party has called for the declaration of a public health emergency as Malta's active coronavirus cases hit an all-time high on Saturday. 

Shadow minister for health Stephen Spiteri said the sharp spike in cases pointed to a failure of the government's containment strategy. He said the falling efficacy of the contact-tracing system, and the filling-up of intensive care units, were a "warning light" of an emergency situation. 

"The Nationalist Party is against imposing a lockdown and therefore there is a need for a declaration of a public health emergency to once again give the Superintendent for Public Health the authority to make the important decisions," Spiteri said. 

"We have to ensure adequate protection to those most in need. Public health must be the priority. This government cannot carry on as if nothing has happened. It has an obligation to follow what is best for our population.

"Many lives depend on its timely decisions. A public health emergency should therefore be considered urgently and without delay."

The declaration would return wide powers to the Superintendent for Public Health, Charmaine Gauci, to take all the measures considered necessary to “reduce, remove or eliminate” the threat to public health.

Malta first declared a public health emergency on April 1, when the country had 186 positive cases. The declaration was backdated to March 7, when the first cases of COVID-19 were detected in Malta. It was lifted on June 30 as the number of active cases dropped to just 21.

There are currently 703 active cases, a record-high, after 100 new cases were detected on Saturday, the second-highest daily tally since the start of the pandemic. 

Restrictions are currently still in place on large gatherings and mass events.